On May 6th, 1954, at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England, Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4.
It was the first time in history a human being ran a sub 4 minute mile, a feat that leading thinkers in the medical and sports communities at the time said was physiologically impossible.
Yet,despite in less than ideal weather conditions on a less than ideal surface, he transformed the impossible into the possible on an old, cinder track.
Shockingly, that record lasted only 46 days.
And it’s continued to be broken since. To date, 514 U.S. athletes have ran a sub 4 minute mile with estimates as high as over 4,900 athletes worldwide. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see an elite high school athlete achieve a sub 4 minute mile. Five have done it since 2015.
Roger Bannister wasn’t superhuman after all.
A record that was once considered as physiologically impossible as a human taking flight was nothing more than a psychological barrier.
How did this happen?
Belief.
So many well educated and well respected people held such strong opinions that it couldn’t be done that people actually started believing it was fact. In the end, it wasn’t the body that was the limiting factor. It was the mind.
So, what does this have to do with you, a member of Ageless?
We’re looking for Roger Bannister’s. We’re looking for, as Dan and Chip Heath in their book Switch say, bright spots – real people with real struggles and real limitations that prove weight loss, health, and happiness can be achieved no matter the odds.
Two weeks ago we posted a video of one of our members, Lawrence Price, achieving an Ageless Strength Badge by deadlifting and benching a combined 500lbs. And even more impressive, since starting his health journey, he’s also lost 85lbs and dropped 14″. Like most of us, Lawrence wasn’t blessed with great genetics or an iron will. He struggles with life’s daily stresses just like you and I. But, he didn’t make an excuse or succumb to a psychological barrier. Instead, he became Roger.
And like Roger, his story inspired others who wanted to change but thought it was impossible. After seeing Lawrence’s transformation, people who have never stepped foot in the gym and were handcuffed by their limitations, took their first step towards health and happiness. People who thought change was impossible now had hope.
Take a minute and think about your friends and family members. Think about the ones who have struggled with their weight. Think about the ones who have struggled with their health. Think about the ones that just can’t get out of the funk they’re in.
Listen to their excuses. Hear their negative self talk. Feel their hopelessness.
Can you inspire them? Can someone you know inspire them?
As Dan and Chip Heath said in Switch, finding bright spots, those that have had success, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create change in those that haven’t had success. People have to SEE things to believe it.
Daniel Coyle echoed that in his book the Talent Code. He set out on a mission to find out why success was often found in clusters that couldn’t be explained with statistics (Think of the success Brazilians have had in soccer despite being such a tiny country). What he found (one of many factors) was that once someone had success, she became a model for those around her, and in turn, increased their chances for success. It makes sense. Once you see someone just like you achieve something, it flips a switch in your brain that lights up a big sign saying, “It’s possible.” What was once a dream now becomes within your grasp.
We’ve seen it firsthand at Gillespie High School. Scott Katich inspired me to go to pharmacy school. He grew up in the same town I did, went to the same school I did, and got the same grades I did. He graduated, became successful, and served as a role model for handful of students younger than him aspiring for success. Although I don’t have access to the numbers, I do try to pay attention to local kids who graduate from pharmacy school. I’d be willing to bet that over the last 15 years, Gillespie High School has produced more pharmacists than any other school in our area. I’d even place a wager that we’ve doubled the nearest school and probably are comparable to much, much larger schools than us like Edwardsville.
|t all started from a bright spot. Not facts. Not figures. Not a sales pitch from representative from a pharmacy school. Not a high school chemistry or biology department that became a factory for future pharmacists (although Mr. Nehls and Mr. Palmer were really good).
We need those bright spots at Ageless. That’s what we’re looking for.
It doesn’t have to be just weight loss either. We had a member tell us a week ago that Ageless is the only positive thing he has in his life right now. For him, it’s about happiness – chatting, laughing, and being part of a community. Some people are stuck in their recliners at home, watching life slowly fade, because they believe it’s impossible to get up and move. Others are so stressed from their responsibilities at work and home that they can’t imagine feeling any other way, while still others have lost purpose and can’t find adventure in life anymore. The beautiful thing about exercise is that it can heal many ailments.
So, if you have a success story, please share it with us so we can share it with everyone and hopefully inspire someone to make a change. Your story may not seem as inspiring as losing 85lbs and 14″, but you’d be surprised at how many people in our community think it’s impossible to lose 5lbs or walk a lap without needing to sit down. As Muhammad Ali once said, “It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out. It is the grain of sand in your shoe.”
Please email us at BeTheChange@ageless-fitness.com to share your story.
Be the Change.
Ageless
P.S.
I know as adults we don’t like to publicly celebrate our successes. We don’t want to seem like we’re bragging, and we definitely don’t want to be known as the “fitness selfie” queen on social media. However, I would argue that enjoyment is often lost in adulthood because we don’t celebrate our successes – big and small. Instead, we hide them. Things we should be proud of we secretly are embarrassed by. In large part, I think that’s because we often stop growing as adults. Because we’re parents and providers, we wear this facade of maturity and authority. Celebrating a success, especially a small one, seems silly.
Watch a child though. How often does she celebrate her successes? How many times will you hear, “Watch this dad. Look at what I can do.” How much fun does she have doing it? Does she do it to brag or show off? Or, does she celebrate because she understands something we as adults often forget – life should be celebrated.
Ageless 2018 from TJ Allan on Vimeo.
