The sole benefit to developing and maintaining a physique is not seen—it is felt. That feeling is very real and palpable, which carries over to every aspect of your life.
The transformation of the mind and spirit is the true benefit to the process of building a physique. You literally transform your mind, and in turn, your spirit. And this weird thing occurs. The snowball effect of momentum, otherwise known as the “Law of Attraction,” occurs, and positive energy emanates from your soul to the rest of your life.
When I graduated college, out-of-shape, and at my worst, 210 lbs at a height of 5’9”, I looked at the people in the gym, albeit with a bit of eNVy, and told myself, “I’m going to look like that one day.” They looked phenomenal and so confident in themselves, and I wanted to look and feel like them.
I implanted in my brain the vision of what I look like now. And when I visualized myself—how I would look, how I would feel—the day-in and day-out work just became so easy. It became a part of my life. Just as I had visualized success in the other aspects of life (i.e., academics) through sheer hard work and discipline, I would apply those principles to become the best version of myself, both internally and externally.
The unwavering self-belief that you gain from sculpting a physique only positively influences all parts of your life. You become more confident, which allows you to take risks and truly strive for what you want in other areas of your life.
Building a physique shows you how to push through failure, persist, and truly embrace success once you achieve it. You develop an overall appreciation for life, and your mind begins to frame almost every experience in a positive light. No matter how bad your situation is, it is almost as if you cannot lose once you embrace the mindset shift.
I succeeded academically and secured a great job coming out of college. But I wanted more, and I knew I could achieve more. I wanted to secure the body—the look that I deserved. When you visualize how you will look and feel, and when that vision truly manifests itself in reality on a tangible level by way of a proportionate, well-muscled physique, the positive reinforcement sustains and you truly believe that you will accomplish everything you set your mind to. As a result, the snowball effect, otherwise known as the “Law of Attraction,” begins. Everything else you visualize for yourself manifests in reality—the money, the confidence, the experiences—it all just seems to come so easily in others’ eyes. You develop the aura of success.
When I commenced my health & wellness journey at 210 lbs at a height of 5’9” (certainly in excess of 20% body fat), in my mind, when I visualized myself in the future, I thought to myself, I’m already here—I’m already shredded, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone else sees that. That mindset propelled me to great heights.
At 210 lbs and in excess of 20% body fat, I was certainly delusional to think that I could ever place in the top 5 in a physique competition. But I have done that twice, while balancing a demanding career.
You have to be every bit of crazy to truly attain something special. Pushing through and really implanting that vision in your brain is what strengthens your resolve and compels you to push harder, to grind harder, to put yourself in positions to succeed.
Here I am, a couple years later, no longer delusional, but truthful. I pushed myself to heights that I knew I could reach. It was just a matter of time before my vision manifested in reality.
Last year, I stepped on stage shredded, at 158 lbs, 5% body fat, clearly improved from my competition the year before, and infinitely better than since the prior 4 years. The funny thing is, this is only the beginning of my journey.
In the next 3 years, I visualize myself adding value to people’s lives through this website via my personal experiences and anecdotal evidence. And it is only a matter of time when that vision manifests itself in reality. In fact, I already see thousands of people taking my advice and reaping the rewards of a sustainable lifestyle change.
The magnitude of my positive mindset shift is the true measure of my “wealth.”
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