Oops...I did it again!

For those of you who have been following some of my recent posts or are in a state of fragility at the moment, protect your head cause here comes another one of my infamous jabs of truth:

While there is really only one type of cholesterol, idiots come in all shapes and sizes.

Some of you didn't cover up, did you?  People!  People!  You really gotta get those hands up!  Maybe work on that confidence and self ownership a bit more, too.  But, narcissism--now that one you've got--since you appear to think whatever I write is aimed specifically at you.

But I truly don't think you're an idiot.  Heck, depending on who you are, I might not even know you.  And even if we have met; even if we've worked or played together, why would you think I was referring to you?  Is there something in our past relationship which makes you think I was calling you out?  Or is it more plausible that some aspect of your relationship with Self is throwing you under the bus?

At worse I think you're misinformed.  You've been lied to--often by folks who have agendas which are financial, religious, political, or otherwise (these were actually the object of my name-calling).  Of course, many of the misinformed are just regurgitating what they were taught--sometimes by people who were simply misinformed themselves.  It's a vicious cycle and hard to break until we learn to think for ourselves.

So let's examine the quote: "there is only one type of cholesterol".  That's true.  While some people may like to reference HDL and LDL or IDL, VLDL, etc, these are actually types of lipoproteins and not cholesterol (the differences I explain--and hopefully not too tediously--in my forthcoming book).

The statement "idiots come in all shapes and sizes" is a bit more subjective, however.  It's also the reason why I'm currently spending time on this post rather than working on my book.  Yet, I enjoy almost any type of writing and consider it good practice.  Besides, I fully expected a firestorm reaction.  And I have to say--you all did not disappoint.

One of the comments I received was "if you have the role of teacher coach, why not just teach it without using pejoratives or name calling?  Good teaching doesn't require it."  And I would answer that question (maddeningly) with a question: aren't we all teachers?  Now, if that's not a thought you've ever considered, I can assure you that the example we're living everyday is a lesson for others.

Are we working or training beyond our bodies' capacity to adapt?  Do we get enough sleep?  Do the people who love and depend on us see us taking care of ourselves or are we showing them that health isn't as important as fancy cars and big houses?  Do others see us recycling and think twice before they unconsciously throw something in the trash?  Does our family admire our dedication for pursuing a passion or for standing up for what we believe?

The author of the above comment (and I'm sure she's not alone) obviously believes that my choice of words was in poor taste.  And neither her view nor any of the actions referenced above are right or wrong--they're just opinions or choices.  I think that often the feelings or beliefs we associate with a word, a food or even an event cause us to react in ways we ourselves can't explain.  Although sometimes the reason is all too clear.

I was racing in Belgium back in the mid 1990's when I suffered my second concussion.  Strung out single file, the leaders were riding in the gutter so that everyone had to fight the wind which was blowing from the left like a brick wall.  I was six inches off the wheel ahead of mine focusing all my faith on the anonymous rider in front of me.  The concrete median which exploded into consciousness a millisecond before I slammed into it immediately broke my bike, my body, and my trust.  My season was over.  And so was my career if I couldn't overcome the mind virus which infected me that day.  It told me to quit.  It told me cycling was too dangerous.  Every time the wind shifted and shaped the peloton into a long, thin line at the very edge of the road, an urgent whisper begged me to back off the wheel in front; to ease my pedaling, to open up a small gap.  Facing the wind was easier than facing the fear.  And the void which was growing kept getting larger.  Yet I knew that if I didn't close the gap soon, I would never be able to bridge it.

That virus still lives inside of me along with many others.  I really don't know if you can kill them once they take hold.  The only thing to do is recognize when they're flaring up.  That way, it becomes somewhat of a symbiotic relationship.  Each time you become aware that some past infection is working to get you to think or act a certain way, you have the potential to take your consciousness to a new level.  And every time you succeed, you inevitably bring someone up with you.

One of the reasons I blog or post on FB is the knowledge I want to share--a message of personal and environmental health which I believe is sorely needed right now.  And I fully realize I cannot do it alone.  So I offer it to a larger audience knowing they can help me make the impact I envision.  But we're bearing this message to a health and nutrition world which is flat and consider us heretics for believing it's round.  They're going to yell at us.  They'll berate us and ridicule us.  They already call us worse than idiots for threatening their ideology and maybe even their security.  So those who aren't comfortable with the vernacular I use in random posts, I honestly do understand and appreciate your point.  But it also tells me that perhaps you simply aren't in a place to help me--not right now at least.

Those with whom I've had the pleasure to train or coach have probably all had different experiences with me.  If they didn't reference my height, you might think they were talking about completely separate people.  My relationship with each one of them is unique, requiring a set of skills I adapt and adjust according to the individual.  And whether I am harder or easier on a client, I always try to handle each case with care.  Every one of us is fragile in different ways.  So, I've learned to listen to my intuition.  And she rarely steers me wrong.  Thus, for those of you with reservations about my tone or choice of words or even the information in that post, maybe you were not my intended audience.  And if that's the case, is it feasible that a pejorative was exactly what one of my readers needed in order to fully understand the point I was making?  Why take that opportunity away from them just to make yourself more comfortable with the conversation? My choice of words can be a strong stimulus--one over which you have no control, no say.  Indeed, your only power (though it's stronger than many of you may realize) lies in your reaction to that stimulus.  Nobody can make you feel a certain way via actions or words unless you allow them to.  So take ownership for what you're creating moment to moment.  That's one of the key steps toward health.  But it's not easy!  Hell, I am far from perfect at it myself.  But we can all get more proficient at it with practice.  A quote which has really helped me in this regard is one of Arnold Patent's 24 Universal Principles which reads:


I acknowledge the circumstances of my life and know that I am responsible for them.  Without judging myself or anyone, I take responsibility for their creation.  I now open myself to experience everything according to my ideal.

There are no accidents in the Universe.  We always receive what we want.  Since many of our wants are subconscious, the only foolproof way to know what we want is to see what we have.  Once we are willing to take total responsibility for everything we experience, we offer ourselves the opportunity to experience the ideal and be peaceful and joyful under all circumstances.

For those of you who've made it this far with me, you may find the following entry enlightening: http://triumphtraining.com/blogs/blog/14996905-found-in-translation.  It's kinda the prequel to everything I wrote about today.   And one thing's for sure--it shows that I should definitely stick to cycling as it's obvious I don't box that well.  I keep getting hit by my own punches--even the ones I saw coming from a mile away.  Either way, I'd like to thank each of you who has joined me in taking responsibility for themselves.  There is a collective consciousness which is changing because of you.  And I'm beginning to like where it's taking us.