When I saw my friend break down in tears with hand on head while on a video call…my heart sank in my chest. As the person shared the overwhelming feeling of being trapped in a sad state; with a lot of self blame & burdened with life; I knew instantly, and actioned to be there at that very moment, if only to provide a listening ear.
As I was in my quiet time with self (after sessions), I was reminded of the reality, that experiences such as this are seemingly becoming a main feature of our personal training sessions. And that my functional role as their trainer, go beyond that as a personnel who merely assess, prescribes & supervise their exercise regimen chiefly. Oh no, the relationship(s) built with these people go much further. Building relationships with people such as this individual-a process that span the course of months-years, create a bond that extend beyond the transaction. It root itself into the realm of family. And as a family member of mine, I will be there to help you in your time of need, as OB Fitness & KUKIBO Martial Arts did for me.
My Experience of How My Fitness Family Help Me Overcome
For many years (childhood-adulthood) I’ve battled with among other things, the thoughts & feeling of giving up on life. It didn’t help having family members (present/absent) and loved ones, not be synced with how I feel, and with what I needed, when i needed them most. This experience, along with others, contributed greatly in me disassociating from giving positive affirmation of myself; and in my belief that I was never going to overcome this conundrum-the belief that I was born to be evil & do evil. Although the molding of my transformed state of mind & spirit began through the effects of KUKIBO Martial Arts (mentoring & training) in my teenage years; It was through the birth of OB Fitness (in my adult years), and us both experiencing what we have, that I started to see & believe:
- That I was, no better yet am, a man of worth in this life.
- That I was not merely born to be evil, and commit evil acts.
Because OB Fitness gives me access to people who both see & value us both as a source of inspiration & help for their needs, I was forced to acknowledge & accept that I need to tackle my deep & chronic issues within. This was very hard. And this took years.
While I would’ve started to commit in preparation of the spoken prophecy over me, towards me having a powerful ministry, from back in 2013. It was the conception of AMB, that expedited my commitment towards self healing & readiness. And in turn, assisted in my growth so I can function in my capacities as I do now, for OB Fitness, and my personal family sake. As AMB continues to grow, and I experience the life of other kids through their parents at OB Fitness, KUKIBO Martial Arts, and otherwise, I’m enveloped into a constant support network of people who value me. This symbiotic relationship in turn, brings out the protector in me to empower them, so that they too may overcome their most difficult challenge(s), as I.
My Additional Tips To Help You Overcome
To you reading this, if you are in a similar mental and/or emotional space as my friend, or myself as shared herein, here are some additional tips to help you overcome:
- Don’t ignore, or push to the back of your mind, the feelings you are experiencing.
- Be honest with how yourself, particularly with how you feel.
- If you can identify someone (professional, friend, clergyman, etc.,) to speak to, please do.
- If you feel the need to “Tek Weh Yuself” do it. Albeit, don’t be totally isolated from point 3.
- Where you feel overwhelmed, accept the things you can and cant control.
- For the things you can’t control, exercise the practice, as we say in Jamaica: “Let Go And Let God”.
- Be patient with, & trust the processing.
Nuff Love.
“Your Sustainable Fitness Partner”.
About The Author
Oshane Bryant: BSc Geology, Geography Minor; ACE CPT since 2012; Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Accelerator Graduate-2018 cohort; KUKIBO Martial Arts & Self Defense, Senior Instructor; OB Fitness Founder & Managing Director.