So here we are again it’s already time for blog #2, and this is the one that I have found myself most hesitant about when I was considering even starting this thing.
I’m a coach, I love the process of learning, applying that to myself then sharing what I’ve learned with others. I love holding a safe space to allow folks the opportunity to focus on themselves and grow - physically, mentally and emotionally. I’m a private guy and don’t really like the focus on me. Honestly that was a big part of why I didn’t even have an instagram until I started this business. That, and I really disliked seeing so many folks with their faces glued to their phones when the whole world was right there in front of them - but that’s a different topic.
So its in a lot of ways that resistance I was feeling inside of myself is what ultimately gave rise to what you're reading now. I had/have a fear of being judged, being vulnerable, not measuring up. But letting that fear keep me from the opportunities for growth and connection that this blog will offer, was not much of an option. I’m doing it.
So who am I? Well to start I’m 40 and there’s a lot to unpack in those years so for now y'all are going to only get the bullet points that are relevant here.
We will start with college, I graduated from Winthrop University in 2003 with a degree in entrepreneurship. Throughout high school and college and several years after I worked in the food service industry - meat cutter, fish monger and line cook. In 2009 and 2010 I worked for the National Park Service at Rocky Mountain National Park, It was there that I was exposed to CrossFit. 2011, I moved back to Mississippi, joined a gym, and went back to school at Mississippi State for kinesiology and biomechanics. I only lasted there one semester before my professor told me to take the money that I was spending on going to class and start up a gym. That advice was so pivotal and changed my life forever. That conversation gave me permission to pursue coaching as a profession.
So, 4 months later in march of 2012, I opened CrossFit 601 with my business partner. We ran that for almost ten years before I sold my shares at the close of 2020, and started Of Life Holistic Coaching. And that’s where I’m at now, coaching individuals in small groups and others individually.
If you're interested in coaching please hit me up either here or wherever you can find me.
The years running the gym were so incredibly valuable to me personally and were foundational in my growth as a coach. Through CrossFit I was exposed to so many aspects of health and fitness, it was a beautiful thing. I found a community that was after results and that was unbiased when it came to dogmatic training protocols. Not to mention Crossfitters are super passionate and committed, so I got to watch our gym members on a daily basis - over weeks, months, seasons, and years, I got to celebrate wins and work through struggles.
I began to notice that there were a lot of self inflicted, limiting behavior/lifestyle patterns in a lot of individuals coming to the gym, but at that time I really didn’t have context in which to grasp what was really going on.
Then, I was exposed to Paul Chek, he broke life and health down in such a simple and beautiful way that completely resonated with me to the core. This changed my whole perspective on the way in which I look at and live my own life and the way that I coach others.
This brings me to the 4 Doctors. This was one of the first and most foundational concepts or principles that I learned. This was before I took any of the C.H.E.K. Institute’s courses or certifications, I was consuming as much information as I could find. Then, I would observe myself and our gym community. It was spot on. It changed everything. And it couldn’t not change my life path.
Our 4 Doctors are our 4 Teachers, the pillars that our health and vitality are built upon. They are Dr. Happiness, Dr. Quiet, Dr. Diet and Dr. Movement. It helps me to think of each doctor as being a spoke on a wheel. When the spokes are in balance the wheel is in balance and works optimally. However when one or more spokes are out of balance the wheel isn’t, let’s say, at its best.
I’ll briefly break down each of these pillars now but I will be going into more depth into each as we get further along in this blog. So we will start with Happiness. Dr. Happiness is prioritized above all the others because it is here that we get clear on our values and recognize the Dream that we have for ourselves and our loved ones. It is from here that all other decisions will be based. This is our mental and emotional health, following our heart, and living with a purpose.
Next we have Quiet, this is not only our sleep and circadian rhythm, but it also encompasses our personal time, our quiet alone time. Taking the time to find out what really fills our own cup up and making time for that each day.
Diet as you can probably guess is how we fuel ourselves. First and foremost Dr. Diet is about the quality of the foods that we consume and the impact that their production has on the planet. Then, we look at the quantity and variety of the foods that we consume.
Lastly, we have Dr. Movement. Here we are concerned with not only the movement of our physical bodies but our movement of the emotional/spiritual body as well. Here we can think of how much a persons body language has to say about them both emotionally and physically. What are our individual needs when it comes to mobility, exercise and recovery? Here we will also discuss working-out and working-in exercises.
Once I began to grasp this concept of the 4 Doctors and how they met the fundamental requirements for life and health throughout the evolution of us all, it was everywhere that I looked. It changed the way I viewed myself and the others in my spheres of life and influence.
I know that this is only scratching the surface of what a holistic approach to health encompasses, and it might have even left you with more questions. I’m good with that, and I will be exploring these topics in more depth here shortly.
But for now I hope that you enjoyed yourself these past few minutes we had together, and if you have any comments or questions I would love to hear them.
Talk to you soon..
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