Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Being Prepared

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien

My Thoughts
This week I'd like to discuss something slightly different from what I usually talk about.

As some of you know, in my previous career I was an intelligence analyst for 11 years. Five of those years I spent as a military analyst, and the other six were spent on other types of analysis and collection.
During my five years as a military analyst my main area of focus was North Korea and I was an expert in North Korean special operations forces.

Why am I telling you this?

Well, it would appear the situation in Korea is growing more serious. Of course, I no longer have access to intelligence reports but I can do what is called open source intelligence (OSINT) analysis. Based on that analysis I believe the situation is quite dangerous, with a significant possibility of something small (relative to full war) to happen within the next few weeks. That something small has the potential to escalate rather quickly into a full scale conflict.

I am not saying this to scare anyone but just to keep you informed.

Many people think that the government and/or embassies will be able to fully protect them or that there will be some evacuation order issued far in advance of any conflict. It would be a huge error in judgment to believe this will happen.

I encourage all of you to make your own plans to evacuate in case of an emergency.
Here is what I recommend:

-Pack a bag with at least 4 liters of water, chocolate, spam/tuna, maybe crackers, essential documents, a few clothing items, baby wipes, toothbrush & toothpaste (perhaps a razor and shaving cream), lighters, flashlight, and a knife.

-Have cash readily available. I recommend at least 100,000 won but more would be better.

-Have a designated meeting point with friends and/or family. Don't expect the cell network to work.

-Head south.

-If it has escalated into a full scale war, avoid the Yongsan army base area , the Ministry of National Defense, the Blue House, Osan and Kunsan air bases.
Use the undergorund tunnels of the subway to move south.
The military and/or civil defense personnel may direct you where to go.

Again I don't want to scare anyone and I hope none of this will be necessary, but I think it's best to be prepared.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Dealing with Problems

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
-Robert Frost

My Thoughts
Oftentimes in life people seem to think that their problems are so big, or so unique to them, that they appear impossible to overcome.  In many cases it can lead to people giving up there dreams. In some cases it can lead to depression, alcohol/drug abuse, etc.. Sometimes it can lead someone to choose to commit suicide.

Based on how you view your problems tends to determine the thoughts you receive related to solving the problem. Ex: This is too difficult, or I'll never be able to do this.
Another thing to look at is how you phrase the problem. Ex: I need to lose 30lbs, or I wish I could earn more money.

I recommend trying to put your problems into the form of a question (avoiding why questions).
For example:
Suppose I could solve this problem, what would I do?
Has someone else experienced this problem before? If so, what did they do?
I'd like to be more healthy, what are things I could do to accomplish this?
It would be great if I had more financial freedom, what could I do to move myself in that direction?

Then write down what thoughts come to you. Sometimes immediate solutions don't jump right out so spend some time thinking it over. I've also found that sometimes an answer will pop out when you are relaxed or your conscious mind is engaged in another activity (ex: taking a shower, watching a concert, etc..)

The other thing I encourage you to do is put your problem in perspective.
Is getting fired from your job the end of the world? It may seem like it at first, but do you still have a roof over your head? If the answer to that is yes then you are doing okay, if the answer is no, then do you have the potential to earn income? The answer to that question for the overwhelming majority of people is yes.

These are the strategies that I use when dealing with problems that seem overwhelming at first. I hope that they can provide some help to you as well.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Deciding on Happiness

News
I have one spot remaining for personal training. I will announce it to a wider audience next week so my schedule will be full. I wanted to give all of you the opportunity to receive this training at a discounted rate first.

Remember, if you train with me for three months and don't get results then you will get a full refund.

Please feel free to email me if you want to sign up, or if you have any questions:
bob@oneamazinglife.com

Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I wanted to share this story I found with you:

Story

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. "I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy. "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it ... It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away ... just for this time in my life."


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Life Changing Goals

News
I mentioned last week about three spots being available for personal training but someone already contacted me and started so now there are two spaces available.

I have 15 years experience with working out and almost 10 years experience training people. If you are interested in LOSING FAT, maintaining your weight, or getting bigger I can help. I also specialize in getting people stronger (regardless if they want to lose, maintain, or gain weight).

If you try me as a trainer for three months and you don't get the results you want I'll give you your money back.

Here are the days and times I am currently available for personal training:

M & W: 11am - 4pm; 8pm - 10pm
Tu & Th: 2pm - 10pm
F: 7am - 11am;  2pm -10pm
Sat: 2pm - 6pm

I may also be available outside of those times, so feel free to ask.

My rate: 65,000 won per session.
600,000 won for 10 sessions.
1,000,000 won for 20 sessions.
Flexible pay plans are available.

My best male client successes:
-Lost 40kgs (~90lbs) in 18 months at 55 years old.
-Lost 25kgs( 55lbs) in less than 6 months.

My best female client success: Lost 12kgs (~25lbs) in 4 months.

And all of them have kept the weight off.

Certifications: LifeSuccess, FMS, NFPT-CPT (starting soon)

Upcoming competitions: Tactical Strength Challenge: April 27th

Bodybuilding competition: mid-September.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me: bob@oneamazinglife.com

Quote
“The future depends on what you do today.”
-Gandhi

My Thoughts
I mentioned last week about the importance of starting something now before it's too late.

I'd like to briefly share my story about how I ended going from frail and weak to healthy and strong (plus becoming a personal trainer).

In 1998, I was 183cm (6') tall and didn't even weigh 60kgs (~130lbs)! Over a period of ten years I ended up going all the way up to 108kgs (~240lbs) while gaining more muscle than fat. I did it naturally, and I had numerous setbacks. Oftentimes I trained so hard I would get sick for a week. I also got injured quite a few times during the process. After I got to 108kgs I decided to do a bodybuidling diet, and I went all the way down to 84kgs (185lbs) and was less than 10% bodyfat.

Over the last 15 years I've learned a ton about myself and about working out, diet and nutrition.  I've learned what works and what doesn't. Through that time I hired two awesome trainers and they helped me tremendously. Looking back on it I should have hired a knowledgeable trainer at the start, it probably would have helped me reach my goals faster and stay injury free.

The point of all of this is that I will be 33 years old this year. I am the strongest and healthiest I've ever been and I have no injuries. This change has also positively affected other areas of my life as well (for example confidence, persistence, etc...).

In the fitness industry there are numerous fads, gimmicks, and outright lies. It can be hard to see the truth and can also be intimidating. At the gyms where I train I've seen trainers push people way too hard for their appropriate fitness level, or compromise lifting form, or both...all of this will lead to injuries. Some of them could be serious. I myself was injured for almost a year due to another trainer's incompetence.

So what allowed me to completely change my health?

1. I set a goal. A very big goal (gaining 45kgs) . So big that people told me it would be impossible.
2. I visualized and took action.
3. I sought out people more knowledgeable than myself.

I will tell you this, the older you get the harder it will be to achieve your health related goals so if you are interested in changing your health and fitness level I strongly encourage you to take action now.