The difference between pain and injury

Often times in sports, you’ll hear someone say there’s a difference between Pain and Injury.

The problem is, they never explain what the difference is. Pain, as we define it, is an unpleasant feeling or discomfort. Injury is defined as damage or harm caused to the structure or function of the body caused by an outside or force.

Sports metaphors mirror life so often it’s nearly impossible not to use them time and time again.

I meet so many people that mistake pain for injury in life. Everytime I talk with someone, they lay out to me all of the unpleasant feelings or discomfort they have in their life. They take the pain they are experiencing and turn it into an injury that sidelines them from moving forward in their life.

Pain is a natural part of life. You can’t have pleasure unless you go through the pain.

Injury by definition is caused by an outside force. More so often than not, we immediately want to point out that our life is where it is by circumstances and outside forces against us. The harsh reality that we refuse to look at, or even take responsibility for, is that it is our own fault. Believe it or not we would rather fake the injury in life than take on the pain of what is real. Now I know that what you are asking yourself right now is: - “That is easy for you to say. You have no idea what my life is like”.

Well that maybe true, but it also may not be true. While there may be no real way to know, the reality is that we fake injuries to avoid the pain of what is real more often than we care to acknowledge. Being real with ourselves is one of the most painful things we may ever take on. But it also yields the biggest pleasure you may ever experience. From time to time we will all experience pain, which is a part of life. Understanding the difference between pain and injury is a critical factor in the decisions we make with our life. An injury keeps you on the bench watching and wishing you could be out there. Pain is unpleasant but still allows you to play, and most importantly Win! If you don’t play you can never win. What do you want to do? Fake the injury or play with pain?

Remember be positive, be real, and live your life In The Zone.

Luis Diaz Live On Coaching In The Zone

Maria Gamb Live On Coaching In The Zone

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Breakthroughs

My Mentor and now Professional Colleague Tony Robbins has a new TV show called “Breakthroughs” Tuesday nights on NBC.

In the show, he breaks down extremely difficult challenges certain individuals are facing in order for them to have the breakthrough needed to see it from a different perspective. The reviews are all over the place, from one person saying it is a glorified infomercial to another saying: “Breakthrough with Tony Robbins is a fantastic show that inspires and I highly recommend you watch this with your family and loved ones.”

Wow! Talk about total opposites.

But, if you dig around enough, you will see more reviews are negative than positive. So I started to read more reviews. The more I read, the more I found it interesting. Each negative review always came back to the same statement or two, “unrealistic” or way to optimistic”.  I am hoping in this article someone, somewhere can help me understand, because I am confused? What is so unrealistic about hope? What does way too optimistic mean?

Our culture today is so out of touch it is almost too hard define anymore. We see thin people and think they are self-centered; we see fat people and think they are undisciplined. Someone starts a Business in this economy and they are crazy (then we wait to see when they close up). Another closes a Business and we get mad that they didn’t do all they could to make it work.

A long time ago we were a nation dedicated not only to making sure our families were taken care of, but our neighbors were as well. It was not about keeping up with the Jones’ or condemning them because they have more than us. It was about community and mutual respect. Those items, when mentioned, are treated like relics that you would see in a museum now.

This country, our state, even our community, will never achieve greatness again until we realize that we all need hope. We all need to be optimistic. Because the alternative is not working. This show is widely built on a principle that everyone seems to be missing; so let me point it out to all of you right now. Get off you’re butt and do something about it, whatever it is. Tony Robbins, myself or whoever is not going to show up at your door and deliver it to you. It may look that way on TV but that’s not how the real world works. Can I or Tony help you? Yes, but how would we ever do that if you don’t seek us out. How can anyone help anyone if you don’t ask for help? How do you get what you want? Do something about it.

The good life so to speak is not a miracle pill you buy and swallow. It is hard work and dedication to being better than you are today. Most importantly being better then you are tomorrow as well. I am sure all of you have heard this phrase before “Life is a journey not a destination”? But upon examining that I would like to change it a bit to read more likes this: “The good life is a journey of challenges, not a destination of despair”

Remember, be positive, be real and live your life In The Zone.

What are you Standards?

I want to first share a quote with you from one of my mentors , Tony Robbins:

‎"Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards."

I have looked high and low and everywhere in between and the one thing I can’t find is what happened to the standards we use to keep for ourselves.

This country used to pride itself on the fact that we were going to do it better than everyone else. Now, the mentality is more like, I will just do enough to make it work, I will just study enough to pass, I will just work hard enough to win by 1. Then, we complain when things don’t go our way or we feel like we got a bum deal.

How long are we going to keep on blaming outside sources for challenges in our lives? We blame the guy at work for working harder than us. We blame the elements for not getting to work on time, we blame god for the bad breaks, when, in fact, in every single occasion, the one common denominator is us!

You want more? You better be willing to do more. You want to open a business? You better be willing to do whatever is necessary to make it work. You want to be a wonderful parent? You better be ready to do what is hard just as much as what is easy to do.

For all of you out there that at times feel like you want more, want to be more and what to do more, the only thing stopping you is your standards.

Setting the bar low allows you to not expect too much, and then, you won’t get hurt, or better yet, won’t gets your hopes up too high. The only difference between average and great is the standards that we set for ourselves.

If you are a parent, I will ask you this one question: Do you want your kids to be average or great? I don’t believe one of you would ever say average. Then, stop acting that way and raise your standards to the moon.

Now I am not saying you have to play in the Major Leagues or be CEO of a Fortune 500 company -- you don’t. But you do need to be the best anything that you are right now. If you own a small business, take it to the next level. If you are a secretary, what can you do to be the best?

Set the example and the rest will take care of itself. Take a look at some of the challenges you have ever faced and conquered. I promise you, when you look back and examine what made it possible, you will find one thing and one thing only: Every single time you raised your standards to overcome the challenge.

For me, since I was 16, I wanted to run the famous Utica Boilermaker and my standard was, I can’t do that. Well, 20 years later, at the age of 36, I had finally raised my standards to conquer my challenge.

I am proud to say, three years later I am still raising my standards ,as I finished 2 and half minutes faster than the year before.

What will be your challenge that you raise your standards to conquer?

Remember be positive, be real, and live your life In The Zone.

"Coaching In The Zone" Presents our MEGA 1YR ANNIVERSARY SHOW

WOW CAN YOU BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN A YEAR ALREADY? Yes "Coaching In The Zone is turning 1 yr old, and do we have a show for you. Listen in this Sunday July 11th as we welcome back some of our most amazing guests through out the past year. You won't want to miss this. Tons of fun lots of laughs, and of course some of the most amazing individuals sharing insightful ways to empower you to live the life of your dreams. So join us this Sunday July 11th at 9:00pm EST for this 2 hour MEGA Anniversary show. If you would like to listen on your phone please call 347-857-1733 or to listen live online go to:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/coaching-in-the-zone/2010/07/12/coaching-in-the-zone

This time of the year is the height of high school graduations. In that spirit, I would like to take this time to write to all those young adults and future leaders of tomorrow. The topic I choose today is one that is simple, yet, often times, missed as we go through life. "Don’t wait" is not just a statement, it is a motto to live by. I encourage all off you to go out and volunteer in your community. Go to an elderly home and ask the question: “If you could share any piece of advice with me what would it be?”

The answer will be the same across the board, DON’T WAIT!

•Don’t wait to see a sun set.

•Don’t wait to tell your Mom or Dad you love them.

•Don’t wait to go after your dreams.

•Don’t wait to travel.

•Don’t wait to help a complete stranger.

•Don’t wait to call your Sister or Brother.

•Don’t wait to have lunch with an old friend.

•Don’t wait to travel through Europe.

•Don’t wait to find the perfect job.

•Don’t wait to start your own Business.

•Don’t wait to say I’m sorry.

•Don’t wait to tell someone you love them.

•Don’t wait to start exercising.

•Don’t wait to have kids.

•Don’t wait to live life fully.

•Don’t wait to…………………….

I think you're starting to get the idea. So if you wait to do any one of these things, the sad truth is, you never will at all.

I will share one of the greatest pieces of advice I can give you at this point in time in your life: If you wait till the time is right, if you wait till you have enough money, one day, 70 years from now, someone might ask you the question: If you could share any piece of advice with me what would it be?

You will say in a shallow voice ……DON’T WAIT.

Remember be positive, be real, and live your life In The Zone.