ALWAYS A BIT OF A LETDOWN

Published: Wed, 01/29/20

Good Morning,

Below is a fantastic post from one of my friends on Facebook.

Just realized he wrote it one year from our 2020 Fitness Atlantic date in April.

On April 18th try and remember his words and the unfortunate feelings you may have

after the event is over.

By Tom Terwilliger

April 18, 2019

ALWAYS A BIT OF A LETDOWN!!

I can remember during my early competitive body building days - training for months for a single competition (a specific goal). The focus, the sacrifice, the intense training. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

And yet, no matter how it turned out, win, lose or draw I would always feel a little let down afterwards.

It was as if my whole purpose, my world, my meaning had suddenly been washed away with only a small plastic trophy left in it's place. Small consolation for having lost a HUGE sense of purpose.

It wasn't until later in my career that I began to realize it wasn't the trophy or title I was training for in the first place.

It was the process and the accompanying growth.

As long as there was another goal looming in the horizon my sense of purpose could never be taken away or replaced by a piece of plastic.

Later still, it was attaching the immediate short term goals to a much larger sense of purpose that the real growth and meaning began to take shape.

For you - each challenge represents a short term goal that must be attached to a greater sense of purpose and meaning or you will always feel let down afterwards.

In my mind - The MANIFESTATION OF OUR MAGNIFICENCE and the glory of gods creation is as BIG as it gets.

What's the end game for you? Or perhaps the beginning of a new one? Losing some weight, toning your body, becoming healthier and stronger?

Or is there a greater purpose for achieving those things?

Of course there is.

The key is to identify it, magnify it, illuminate it and honor it.

You may never achieve it fully but the pursuit will lead to your magnificence.

Nice article right?

I think about it all the time.

In the end Fitness Atlantic is still a contest but it could be more.

Everyone understands you are entering a contest but I still try and call it a SHOW.

Not everyone is going to get a trophy but how do you not feel like a loser?

My advice is to set up multiple goals!

For instance, I've been a Physique Contest Promoter since the early 1990's starting

with A.A.U. Mr/Ms Connecticut shows. I sold so many tickets the promoter Fred couple

years later (out of nowhere) asked me if I wanted to take over his two Connecticut shows.

The first show I promoted I ordered trophies with picture frames placed inside the frames of the trophies. Years ago people used to bring their trophies into the gym afterwards and sometimes they would tape a photo to the trophy. Most times you never knew how they looked and only saw the trophy. I wanted people to show what they ended up looking like after all the work!

Few years later I wanted to grow the show to not just a state event but an open nationwide event and was going to switch to a new federation that was airing television shows on ESPN and in 1998 I trained and entered that show. I had entered 3 local contests before becoming a promoter but I never entered a international Worlds show before.

My #1 goal and what I really wanted was a photo of me on that stage before promoting my event here on the East Coast. I signed up with the professional photographer for stage photos so this one was pretty much guaranteed.

My #2 goal was to network and meet people. To this day many lifetimes friends like Mike D'Angelo and I even met and had a photo with Jack LaLanne at the host hotel. Which is why I recommend being part of larger shows and not small events as you will meet more people.

My #3 goal was maybe I'll place and get a trophy and I knew I had no real control over this and all depended on who showed up.

Here is how that went:

I looked great 4 weeks before the show and did a little guest posing at a friend's contest and after that got nervous and screwed up my diet (cut cards and sodium loaded - Bad Idea). I looked bloated when I arrived in California and was lucky to place 5th in a class of 18.

One of the judges Bob Gormely who saw me 4 weeks earlier asked me why I screwed up my diet and said I was an easy 2nd place if I had looked the same.

I knew I messed up my diet but my first goal was just photos from that ESPN show production stage which was the best at that time, placing top 5 was great and Pro?

Pro status didn't exist at that show. I was just happy and 5th or 2nd didn't make a difference.

In 1999 I started Fitness Atlantic. While my local show would only get 50 contestants the Fitness Atlantic show that year had over 100.

Having a series of goals other than the place of the trophy that you use your experience and results is what helped me.

There are so many opportunities and things I never really saw coming after that...

Personal Training, Gym Ownership, Online Fitness Coaching , Contest Prep, Workshops, Camps, eBooks, YouTube Channel, Podcasts, Public Speaking, the list goes on...

the things you can do some may not even exist yet.

Sure they could be a little bit of a letdown... if you only have one goal.

Work Hard, Stay Positive, and Be Open to More.

- Brian

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