My Mantra: As I Am

Life is an adventure. 

We build new relationships. 

End negative ones. 

We work hard.

And see that hard work pays off.

We can put time and energy into a goal and fall short.

Here’s the thing. Life is amazing, yet frustrating. Adventurous, yet cautious. Rewarding, yet demoralizing. 

The ebbs and flow of life are what make it worthwhile.

We are all doing the best we can. If you are on the path to self-improvement, I invite you to join the AS I AM mantra.

KPD, WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT  WITH “AS I AM”? 

It all started with a Justin Bieber Concert. Yes, I was 1 of 12 guys there for their girlfriends/wives, but the difference is that my wife bought ME these tickets for MY birthday. ;-)

In all seriousness, those tickets had more meaning than just going to see the Biebs. 

My wife bought us these tickets for a show in San Diego. She said we needed to move to San Diego by the concert date. This was how we kept our promise to step outside our comfort zone and move across the country from Massachusetts. We knew taking this leap would help us grow and gain more independence. 

Biebs was doing his thing all night and crushing it. He eventually sings a song called “AS I AM". This song caught my attention right away. Especially the chorus that goes:

“Take me as I am, swear I'll do the best I can” 

So when hearing these lyrics, I had this sort of “A-ha” moment.

 WHAT “AS I AM” MEANS TO ME:

I hold two “AS I AM” phrases very close.

First, you already know, “ Take me as I am, swear I’ll do my best I can." This reminds me that no matter how many mistakes I make, how many times I screw up, or how many times I fail, I know I am doing the best I can.

Listen, you are not here to try to fuck up. You are not here to try to screw anyone over. But it's okay when you do. Failure will be a part of the process, so understand that it is ok if and when you do. What happens when you fall? You get right back up, dust the dirt off yourself and get back to it!

Self-improvement and growth are hard. When you face challenging days where you feel like giving up, remind yourself, “As I Am“.

The second phrase is “Take me as I am, or watch me as I go.” 

In this period of my life, I am growing and learning more and more about myself. I am gaining much more insight into who I am as a husband, brother, son, friend, and coach.

I have focused a lot more on whom I surround myself with and whom I choose to spend time with. 

It's easy to try and change who you are to try to “fit in.” You may start doing things you don’t even care about, or you may act differently, draining your battery. So when it comes to the people you are spending your valuable time with, ask yourself:

"Do they drain my internal battery or charge it?"

If someone doesn’t accept you for whom you are (assuming you are not a serial killer or tv show spoiler), then why waste your time and energy? If they don’t support or lift you up, “See ya... Watch me as I go.”

Find your support system. You don’t need to change who you are to try and fit in with a particular crowd. If you like to nerd out about Harry Potter, then let’s fucking talk shop about how awesome it would be to go to Hogwarts. If you want to eat a donut (or if you are like me, donuts) but worry about people judging you, fuck them. That is on them, and they are missing out - eat that donut and love life! 

Now, a change of gears here.

From my coaching standpoint, I use “Take me as I am, or watch me as I go” to meet you where you are! 

We all have different journeys with our health and fitness. You are on another chapter than someone else, and your chapter 1 is completely different from their chapter one, so let's stop comparing stories.

Yes, as the principles will remain the same, the method will differ. 

Wherever you are on your journey, I’ll meet you there and start walking with you. We’re in this as a team. It’s not going to be one size fits all. 

Let’s enjoy this ride called life and own being:

A.S. I. A.M.

Accept Challenges. 

• Take risks. Challenge yourself to grow. Get uncomfortable.

Stick with it. 

• Trust the process. Mistakes happen, but keep going. As long as you never quit, you will be successful. 

Inspire Yourself. 

•  Remember why you started. Have grit. Stay positive and keep giving your best effort. Every day won’t be sexy or will feel 100%, but what CAN you still do today?

Always Learn. 

• Be coachable. Be open-minded. Have a growth mindset to try new things, and learn new things.

• Always say please and thank you, hold the door for others and put your grocery cart away. Good manners go a long way.