"I'll never be ashamed to quote a bad writer with a good saying." - Seneca

Something I've learned over the years (and still get reminded of regularly) is you can learn something from every one, even if it's how not to do something. That in itself can be just as valuable and effective as being taught to do something the most efficient way from the start. In my profession of strength and conditioning there can be a lot of ego amongst certain coaches. For example, I've seen coaches purposely let their athletes/clients use unsafe technique simply because they have too much pride to admit perhaps someone else has a better/safer/more effective way. Fortunately for me, I have had those coaches and I have been that athlete, taught to do something incorrectly and was praised for my shitty form. I had years and thousands of reps dedicated to programming my muscle memory to do things the less efficient way. Imagine the frustration and pure blow to my ego when I was put around Coaches who not only taught movements effectively, but cared enough to correct me. Now I was put in the same situation as my previous coaches were, do I ignore this new information? do I leave this gym never to return and stay stuck in my ways simply because it hurt my ego? or do I gratefully swallow the giant slice of humble pie and consider myself lucky that these coaches are kind enough to help me attempt to relearn something in a better more efficient way? I chose the latter as I hope all of you do. 

I used the frustration and anger towards those other coaches as positive motivation to NEVER allow myself to do that to any athlete/client of mine. There's been many times over the years that I have adjusted my clients (and my own) exercise selection and technique based on new information I've learned and I make sure to communicate that to them so they know I care more about helping them than being "right." 

In my profession it's easy to dismiss every thing a coach says simply because I don't agree with their philosophy/system and maybe even have good reason to disagree. But if I'm really honest with myself, and I genuinely pay attention, I can probably pick out even one helpful cue from them. If nothing else, I can learn how I don't want to coach my athletes/clients. That's just as valuable!

This applies to all situations, maybe I have a teacher or a boss I don't like or think is completely incompetent, maybe my parents have a less than constructive way of parenting, maybe I've had one or two dysfunctional relationships, regardless of the situation, I have a choice to make. I can either spend my energy complaining about my situation, in which case I am doomed to stay stuck in that negative loop of decision making, and eventually becoming exactly like all the things I am complaining about. OR I can learn the hard way from not only my mistakes but the mistakes I feel others are making and turn that into a daily positive reminder of why I am working to better myself in-spite of my current or past circumstances. I work daily (and still at times fail) to remind myself the only way to evolve is to continue learning, and the only way to continue learning is to stay humble. 

Health & Happiness

- Coach Karli