Sergeant Tony's Blog

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Long before Lance Armstrong’s “Livestrong” bracelets were fashionable, there was the Old Testament and Joshua 10:25:

“Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous.”

A few years ago there was Warren Wiersbe’s 27 volume Old Testament “Be” commentaries. “Be Obedient,” “Be Resolute,” “Be Committed,” to name a few of the “Be” titles.

There’s Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To be, or not to be … ” (Sorry Will.)

A few years ago the US Army used “Be All You Can Be!” as a recruiting slogan.

When we were little, our parents friends asked us what we were going to be when we grew up.

I’ll bet your high school guidance counselor asked what you wanted to be too, right?

One day during that first difficult year I lived in Tokyo, and feeling really stressed out — I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write, and I could only understand about 25% of what was being said to me (just like growing up in Arkansas! hahaha). I couldn’t do much of anything for myself or my family. I felt like a child, a very upset, frustrated, and confused child. I explained this, in my best “caveman Japanese,” to my older Japanese friend. Harada Sensei was also my first Japanese language teacher and one of the wisest friends I’ve ever had. He paused for a long time before responding. In fact, his pause was so long that I was pretty sure that my caveman Japanese must have been unintelligible gibberish. Then he said something I’ve never forgotten. The translation of what he said was something like this: “Tony san, you are human being, you are not human “doing” … you must learn to … be.”

WHAT?

What kind of ancient Confucius sounding Japanese zen crap was THAT?? I’ve always been sort of a “human doing” kinda guy. I just wanted someone to whine to, someone to validate my frustration and anger, not someone to tap me on my philosophical shoulder and confront my Western impatience and metaphysical pragmatism.

Human being?

The more I thought about it over the weeks that followed … the more I saw it.

Being.

Human being.

So …

… what are we being?

What are you being?

It’s a great question.

Not what are you? Not what are you doing? Not what do you do?

What are you being?

“What are you?” is usually, and safely, answered by giving out our age, gender, occupation, and the life roles we occupy. “I’m a 50 year old businessman, a husband, a father, a brother, a friend …”

But, “what are you being?” is different. It’s a question that requires more thought, deeper introspection, a longer gaze into the mirror.

Most of us won’t slow down long enough to do that. We’ll look in the mirror for other reasons. We’ll check our hair in the mirror. We’ll see if there’s broccoli in our teeth … but we resist introspection. We don’t think about being.

But I hope you will.

Warren Wiersbe should have written a book entitled “Be.”
Not be anything.
Just be.

Be.

Think about it.

Now, get up and DO something!

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Sergeant Tony’s Combat the Fat Challenge

Sergeant Tony’s Combat the Fat $5,000 Weight Loss Challenge application deadline has been extended to TODAY! So far we’ve got close to 20 applicants. Thank you to everyone who’s talked it up and recommended the program to your family and friends. I hope to announce the selectees this weekend on this blog

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WHAT ABOUT MEEEE??

You’ll be happy to know that I haven’t forgotten about the rest of you who don’t qualify for the Combat the Fat program. In March I’ll launch “Reunion Challenge 2008.”

More details to follow!

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MY HOUSE IN EAST MEMPHIS IS FOR RENT! (again)

My house on Southern, in the Colonial View neighborhood (between Target on Colonial and The Half Shell on Mendenhall) will be available for lease on April 1. GREAT LOCATION! More details and a picture are on this blog.

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WHAT’S YOUR REAL AGE?

Every 6 months I take a survey that tells me my Real Age based on my health, wellness, and fitness habits and lifestyle. What is YOUR real age? You know your chronological age, but how old are you based on your lifestyle and habits?
http://www.realage.com/RALong/entry4.aspx?cbr=GGLE575&gclid=
COSg–SEmZECFQiaPAodylehQg

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FIVE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT

Send me the names and email addresses of five of your friends and I’ll add them to the distribution list of this BOOT CAMP NEWSLETTER. This will help some of you who end up forwarding it anyway! They’ll receive the newsletter and nothing more. I’ll never solicit them individually to buy anything or join anything.

So, click “Reply” and send me those five names right now and then you can come back and finish THIS newsletter!

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NEW LOCATIONS FOR BOOT CAMP!!!

In the next few months USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP will be starting TWO new locations!! We’re expanding (not moving to) Colliverville/Germantown and Mid-town. Each new location will offer a 0530 class to begin with.

Since some have had questions and concerns since I announced the expansion (like you Melissa P!), let me allay those concerns: NO, I am NOT selling the business and moving to New York! The 0830 and Evening Boot Camp classes will not be affected at all. The 0530 Battalion will only be marginally affected. All classes will continue to meet as scheduled.

USMC Fitness Boot Camp Mid-town is set to start on March 3rd at EVERGREEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, across the street from Rhodes College!

Do you have an idea and a contact in Collierville/Germantown?

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FOX 13

If you missed the interview I had on FOX 13 last week you can see it at the link below. They showed some old footage of some workouts that you might enjoy seeing. There’s even a brief clip of our dear Ken Kenworthy, God bless him.

Thanks again Val!

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=
488031EDD10A144691FC7B8532003DFF?contentId=5555206&version=
2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

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HALF MARATHON TRAINING!

Half marathon training is Saturday, February 2 at 8 AM @ Shelby Farms. We’ll meet in front of the Visitor’s Center. This will be in preparation for the Nashville Half Marathon or any other late April event.

In addition to the standard training aimed at those wanting to be able to finish a half marathon — or to finish in under 2:30 — we’ll also have a training group for those wanting to finish in under 2 hours. Both groups will meet at the same time on the same day at the same place.

Beginners are WELCOME! Even if you’ve never even run a 5K, I can have you ready to finish a half marathon by April 26th! Can you jog 3 miles without stopping? Then you can do it! We’ll be going 1 hour and 10 minutes this Saturday using a “5 minute ON, 1 minute OFF” routine. The 5 minutes ON will be at a 11:30 per mile pace, the 1 minute OFF is a walk break. Not sure if you can do it? Come on out and give it a shot! There’s no obligation and nothing to pay for if you decide not to continue with the training.

Cost for active duty Boot Campers is $75, and $100 for “friends of boot camp”

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: If you’re an active duty boot camper and you bring a new person (non-boot camper) who signs up for the half marathon training, YOU can deduct $25 from your fee for every one of those friends who signs up! (Yes, Elizabeth, you could actually get your training for FREE!!)

EXTRA SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR EVERYONE: Since EVERYONE has a weekend homework assignment of one hour of continuous cardio, EVERYONE is welcome to come out and join us for an hour for FREE.

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“You are the most powerful magnet in the universe!
You contain a magnetic power within you that is more
powerful than anything in this world, and this unfathomable
magnetic power is emitted through your thoughts.”

— Rhonda Byrne: Australian television writer and producer of “The Secret.”

To your continued health and fitness!

Tony

Sergeant Major Tony Ludlow
USMC Fitness BOOT CAMP, Commanding
4888 Southern Cove
Memphis, TN 38117
901-644-0145

www.usmcfitnessbootcamp.com

www.shaklee.net/tonyludlow/main