Be Your Best, Never Settle for Less

I write about darkness but live in the light. No matter the obstacles along the path, keep your eyes on the summit. Never make excuses. Always find solutions

(No audio as this is mostly all videos)

I write a lot about the darkness we are facing. But I do not live in that darkness. I live in the light. One of the ways I stay uplifted, is by training in the gym and training others. So, today, I thought I would share a few inspiring thoughts and videos along those lines.

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I have devoted over thirty years to my own personal training and to training others. In return, I have been blessed by the wonderful people I have come to know and by the ways my training has strengthened me in mind, body and spirit, so I could face the changed life has thrown my way.

So, here are some fun videos that hopefully inspire all of you to get moving! I’m not saying you need to do what I do. But do whatever pushes you a little bit further than you thought you were capable of doing.

This is a video Pro Edge Boxing put together as a going away present before I left for Luxor. I had no idea what I was in for when I got on that plane! Nor could I have ever foreseen that I would now be busy writing a book about it.

An early morning class I taught in Los Angeles.

Not only do I train others, but it’s important to take time to train with those you respect because you will never push yourself as hard as they will.

Here is a look back at some of the classes I taught. This is Tarzana Boxing in Los Angeles. Sadly, the gym closed a few years ago.

I was the only female trainer in the gym. But everyone knew, if you were in my class, you were going to work harder than you ever thought possible. You might groan during class, but you would feel great about it afterwards because you knew you gave your all.

A strong core means a strong body. I learned this from some of the best old school kickboxers, and they imparted their knowledge to me.

Training young women who want to know what it’s like to fight back, not just cower, has always been rewarding for me. These young women weren’t trying to become professional fighters. They wanted to learn what it was like to react instead of freeze. When you learn to fight, your entire demeanor changes. You walk down the street with confidence, your shoulders back, head held high, aware of your surroundings. A predator stalking his prey is less likely to pick you as a victim.

More training in the ring.

Time to fight!

This was a Saturday early morning class for the dedicated!

Never slack off with the sit-ups. Strong core, strong body.

After my kids were grown up, I took off with a backpack to travel the world to write, meeting wonderful people train with and to teach along the way.

I spent quite a bit of time in Costa Rica, up in the jungles, a village on Lake Arenal with a magnificent view of Arenal volcano. I taught classes in a gym in Tilaran, and this brave young lady tried her hand at mitt work. She didn’t speak English, and my Spanish is terrible but we managed.

Back in Phoenix, once again at Pro Edge.

I love the gym. When you go inside, you leave the world behind. Everyone is there for one reason, to give their all for one hour or two, or however long they stay. When you walk back out that door, you’re exhausted but you take renewed strength and determination with you.

I never teach classes where participants stand in front of the boxing bag and just hit it. Forget that! If you really want to get in shape, you have to MOVE.

This was a kickboxing class. There is nothing better than the combination of kicking and punching to work out your entire body, and especially your core. And then, down you go, and get up again! One of the best things you can do is hit the ground and then explode back up again as fast as you can, and continue on the bag.

Beginning kick boxing class. Fun techniques.

The longest five minutes you will ever experience. But you will surprise yourself. It’s amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it.

And at the end of the workout, it’s time for some silly fun. The feeling of achievement is the best!

Training and teaching others are a big part of my life. I can’t imagine living any other way. I would have never survived the dangers of Luxor, Egypt without all these years of training behind me. Keep your body, mind and spirit ready at all times!

There are always a million excuses not to train. But every day that we give in to the weakest part of ourselves, we get weaker. And every day that we refuse that temptation and push ourselves to our limit, we get stronger.

Today, I am thankful that my hip replacement surgery was successful and I am back in the gym, training! I will probably never kickbox again. But so, what. There are plenty of other things I can do. I am back boxing and that’s great.

We all have challenges, especially as we get older. Obviously, I cannot kick a bag. To try and do it, would be foolishness. But no matter what impedes us on our path, we can still reach for our highest level of excellence. Never look for excuses. Always look for solutions!

God bless you all this weekend!