Jeff

View on Teaching:

The Army's definition of leadership is "The ability to influence others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation while operating to accomplish the mission and improve the organization." We, as Les Mills certified instructors, inherit the responsibility to exemplify the contents of this very definition.

I recently retired after 20 years of service to this great nation. As a former U.S. Army Drill Sergeant, Master Fitness Trainer, and Special Forces member, being physical has been a big part of my life. I've witnessed how physical and mental preparation can enable many to sustain, some to survive, and the chosen few to overcome insurmountable odds.

I believe the Les Mills programs can challenge one's mind, body and soul and enable them to reach their full potential. Not everyone has the ability to look like a super-model or professional bodybuilder, but everyone has their very own personal best.

Fitness is contagious! I encourage all my fellow instructors to teach every class as if it's your last...you never know who you may inspire in the audience to follow your lead.

Hard times don't last, but hard men do!!! Full Throttle ~jeff


*******Eleven quotes (in no particular order) I value or use to help motivate participants.*******

"You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event -- it is a habit." - Aristotle

"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret" - Sarah Bombell

"Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination." - Tommy Lasorda

"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." - Jerry West

"The answer to three questions will determine your success or failure.
1 - Can people trust me to do my best?
2 - Am I committed to the task in hand?
3 - Do I care about other people and show it?
If the answers to all three questions are yes, there is no way you can fail." - Lou Holtz

"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." - Tom Landry

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift” - Steve Prefontaine

"If everything’s under control, you’re going too slow." – Mario Andretti

“Failing to plan means planning to fail. What are your goals?" – Brian Tracy

“When you arrive at your future, will you blame your past?” – Robert Half

Finally (if you're still reading this), here's a poem I reference daily to keep me driven and motivated. I use it as a self-assessment to see if I've given my best effort.

The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to a mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife,
Who judgment upon you must pass;
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one starring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest.
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed the most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years.
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass.

Dale Wimbrow (c) 1934