I know when I talk about fitness from the ‘mind, body, spirit’ angle – some people start to get the puzzled look on their face. But, it’s really not that complicated…

See, there’s a word that keeps coming up in some of the emails I get, some of the blogs comments people are leaving and in some of the posts in my private forum.

-

The word is Self Image.

-

Why do I bring self image into this conversation?

Because a healthy and vibrant self image is the easiest and strongest way to be in touch with your spirit. I’m not talking about an outwardly fake, offensively boisterous personality – I’m talking about the kind of self image that exudes confidence, happiness and a genuine appreciation for, and enjoyment of, “life”.

I’m a voracious reader. In the last 4 weeks I’ve torn through 3 fairly thick books. I have a never ending desire to learn – not just about ‘other topics’ relevant to my activities and business – but the desire to learn about “me”, the ’self’ – and in doing so, I learn about “you”. Let me explain…

In life, especially throughout childhood – the only information we have to go on is what we get from the people that are closest to us, such as family, friends and teachers (and unfortunately – the mass media).

I’m talking about the kind of information that molds, shapes and influences who we become as adults. Every generation has its own set of societal ‘ways of life’ – and digging deeper, we can see that different classes of society (lower, middle, upper, etc…) has its own subset of ‘ways of life’.

The deeper we dig, the more specific the ‘ways of life’ get – until you reach the level of ‘immediate (and nuclear) family unit’.

-

Let’s take my family, as an example.

-

My father came from Sicily when he was 13 years old, with the rest of his family. My mother’s parents came from Calabria – and gave birth to my mom in Brooklyn, NY. They all came to the US to give the future generations (me, my siblings, cousins, our kids, etc…) a better chance for success and a better way of life.

They taught us what they could, mostly by example – and some they tried to deliver in their own words. All of our grandparents were hard workers – tailors, seamstresses…

After serving in the US reserves (helo. medical rescue) – my father became a carpenter’s apprentice – and went on to become a master carpenter – capable of building just about anything. (He has since retired – and is now a Certified Personal Trainer, believe it or not).

-

The one thing I learned from my family is “work hard (I say ’smart’) and go after your dreams.”

-

But just like any other family – there are limitations on what you are capable of passing on to your offspring. There’s nothing wrong with this – it’s just a fact of life. And this is where the opportunity for self exploration and self education presents itself.

-

What do I mean by self education?

-

Simply put, it’s the material you learn outside of formal institutions such as schools, colleges – AND – outside of your familial ‘boundaries’.

Some people naturally tap into this – while others don’t even realize it’s there, waiting to be awoken.

I realized this in my teens – and I’ve been using (and refining) it ever since…

One of the easiest ways to do this is through books.

There are thousands of brilliant people who have walked this earth long before we did – whose writings will remain eternally true and infinitely helpful.

When I say brilliant – I’m not saying these people are any different form me and you. See, we are all pretty much given the same ‘tools’ when we are born. – What we choose to do with these tools during our life, COMBINED with the various influences in our life, is where the differences become evident.

One such book, which I’m reading right now, was originally written in 1960, by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. The title is Psycho-Cybernetics. Despite the fact that this book was first published in 1960 – it’s still a perennial bestseller. The primary reason being that this is a life-changing book.

-

This is one book I wish I found 20 years ago – But you know what I say… “It’s never too late.”

-

I think I’ve written long enough today – and I thank you for sticking with me. So I won’t go into a review of the book. You’ll be better served by just going to Amazon and getting a copy. Even if you can read 2 or 3 pages a day – you’ll be emailing me in a few weeks to says ‘thanks’ for recommending it.

And it doesn’t matter where you are in your life – this book is a valuable perspective on self image, self value and the realization of your ’self-potential’. Even if you’ve “accomplished all that you wanted – and are 100% happy” – the tools and lessons in this book will allow you to help those around you in ways you can’t imagine.

Wanna talk about this? Got a comment or question? I’d love to hear from you – and so would everyone else who reads this blog – So click on ‘Comment’ below and let us hear from you.

Your trainer for life – your trainer forever,

Joey Atlas