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America, anyone can achieve their fullest potential.  Unfortunately few do.  We go through life never truly maximizing what has been given to us, such as our gifts or talents.  My older brother is the perfect example.  He is a gifted musician who has never achieved his full potential.  I don’t know why.  He could have been a child prodigy, he was that good.  At three years old he sat on the piano stool next to my oldest sister who was a good pianist, but not gifted.  She had taken lessons, could read music well, and played for the church choirs for over 50 years.  She was attempting to learn a new song to teach the choir, which was a bit challenging for her as it had lots of riffs and runs.  My brother, sitting next to her, asked, “Can I play?”  Now remember, he was three years old!  My sister brushed him off.  He insisted, “I can play!”  Finally she said, “Okay…you can play on the piano, but I’ve got to finish learning this, so go ahead.”  She figured he’d plunk on the keys for a few minutes, get bored, and then leave her alone. 

America, without sounding like I’m proud of him (which I am…), he started playing the song BETTER than she was playing it, putting together combination runs and riffs that made her call out to our mom and dad.  How good was he?  That was the first time he ever sat at the piano!  When older and taking lessons, he was so good that at music practice all he’d have to do was cock his head to one side, listen to what the teacher was playing, and play it back perfectly, usually better than her.  He has perfect pitch, perfect tone, and is more intuitive on where the song is going than you can imagine.  But he had one problem.  He was so gifted that he was cursed.  Because of his gift and talent, he really didn’t feel he needed to study and learn how to read music.  He always felt that he knew enough about playing not only the piano, but the organ, drums, bass, violin, and several other instruments that there was no need, and no real desire to truly better himself. 

Well…when he was a teenager and in his early twenties, there was no one in the region who could touch him.  One time Billy Preston came to town.  My brother got to play with him.  Billy stood in amazement watching him play, asking afterwards, “Who IS that guy, and why isn’t he out here with us?”  Fast forward many years.  Kids that looked up to my brother and wanted to be like him now exceed him – not in gift or talent but in knowledge and ability.  They’re not as gifted – they’re good musicians in their own right, but everyone knows that my brother is something special.  But they went to music practice, music schools, and did whatever it took to further their ability as musicians.  They can do more musically.  By that I mean not just play but teach, write, direct, etc.  Now my brother can do all of that as well, but he does it by ear whereas they can do it by ear to a lesser degree and also by reading music.  My brother, in spite of his gift, always has to hear the song first.  He does not possess the ability to read or write.  Potential wasted.  Destiny denied. Or is it? 

You see, we all have what I call an infinite number of destinies.  Who we are might be pre-determined, but the path we follow is always of our own choosing.  In essence, we choose our destiny; our destiny does not choose us (unless we do nothing, at which point we still choose our destiny, even if it is not good).  For many, the pervading belief is that your destiny is pre-determined.  They say your destiny can’t be changed.  But I disagree.  I believe that it can be challenged, even changed.  We are born with an infinite number of futures.  We die with a single one.  Which one will you choose?  Even the bible speaks of choice; “…I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life so that you and your children may live…”  (Deut. 30:19).  My brother’s destinies were placed before him.  He chose his path.  For many of us, me included, we are at the proverbial crossroads in this bodybuilding/fitness/figure/bikini challenge.  With less than three weeks for some of us and less than six weeks for the remainder, what path will we follow?  Will we rise to the challenge of achieving our current best potential thereby fulfilling our destiny at this point in our lives or will we squander it by slacking on our workouts, skipping cardio, cheating on our nutrition, or just plain thinking, “That’s good enough.”  My goal through this series of blogs is to help each one of you realize your best potential.  That’s why I spend so much time on the psychological component.  Your job is to go out and actualize it! 

Look, I wish I had better genetics.  I don’t.  There are others out there like me.  We have to work harder and smarter just to stay one step behind.  But there are many of you with great genetics.  Fantastic shape, full muscle bellies, great lines…you’ve got it goin’ on!  But if you don’t get lean enough to show all of that, it simply becomes wasted potential.  Guy Overby said a while ago, and I posted it in a previous blog, “I might get beat but I won’t be out-trained.”  I say, “You might out-lift me but you won’t out-work me.”  Genetics aside, I will do what I need to do – no excuses accepted, no excuses given.  I expect you to do the same.

You should never allow your fears to set the limits of your destiny.  Nor should you let the expectations of others define the frontiers of your future.  Your destiny is in YOUR hands.  My destiny is in MY hands.  Whether we win or lose is immaterial to me.  What IS important is whether you live up to your God-given potential, talent, and gift.  All of your futures have already happened.  You just haven’t experienced them yet.  They’re out there…the good and the bad.  Choose the good.  How?  WORK for it!  It’s yours for the taking…

I was gonna present another of the 30 Biggest Lies but I just got off the phone with Turk.  We talked almost an hour as he’s getting ready for his hip replacement on April 2^nd. Even though he’s got his doctor telling him what to expect, nothing speaks like experience.  Since I’ve got one and already rehabbed it and am back to full training…well…he asks, I answer.  So I’m out for the evening, America…peace!

The Dr.

David “Dr. Buff” Patterson

Personal Training Systems

“There Are No Shortcuts!”

 www.personaltrainingsystems.net 

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