Tag faith

The Team Universe Spell Has Finally Been Broken

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Team UEvery year the NPC Team Universe awards IFBB Pro Cards to a large group of deserving athletes, so it is an extremely enticing National level bodybuilding contest for competitors who qualify at that level. I was certainly enticed and ended up competing at Team U four years in a row, with this year’s showing culminating in attaining the IFBB Pro Status I had coveted for many years. But I will admit that I almost did not enter the contest this year as a result of a lackluster performance in the three previous years. I used to refer to the “Team U Curse” when discussing Team Universe as a result of some very odd and disconcerting coincidences. Thank goodness the spell was broken this year!

When I competed at Team U in 2010 I was not “on the map” with respect to competing at the national level and as a result I was hardly given a glance by the judges. I competed against one of my dear friends who ended up winning her Pro card that year. Then in 2011 I once again found myself competing against a dear friend and watched as she won her Pro card while I had a decent but less than stellar performance. Not easily deterred, I competed at Team U in 2012 and found myself once again competing against a dear friend who got her Pro card. I was thrilled for every one of my friends, but it was a bit distressing to feel like the bridesmaid but never the bride for three consecutive years. Added to this was my intense dislike of driving around south New Jersey, the threat of rain looming over my freshly applied spray tan, and numerous other stressors and mishaps. It is no surprise that I began to think that it wasn’t a good idea for me to ever compete again at Team U.

Then this year I just decided that I had to get up onstage in New Jersey despite the pattern which had defined the last three years. Thank goodness I did! In the weeks leading up to this year’s competition, I FELT different. I was no longer concerned about who was going to beat me in New Jersey. I focused on my training, kept my nose to the grindstone and trained harder than I ever have. When I flew to Newark, there were no flight delays or mishaps, and I didn’t get lost when I drove to the hotel. There were a couple of glitches during my trip, but they were minor, and I didn’t get rattled. When I was deciding on what suit to wear, the one I chose just GLOWED and I knew it was the winning suit. My tan, my conditioning, my makeup and my hair were just right, and it was truly as if the planets aligned.

I ended up taking two First Place finishes when I only needed one to win my Pro card, plus I took an Overall win.

Don’t EVER give up on your goals. You never know when the Universe will grant you that precious wish.

Why Do Some Competitors Quit Competing?

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Women's Physique LadiesI love the drive that competitors have and certainly understand it first-hand. There is something exhilarating about preparing for a contest that no other goal delivers for me, so I plan to continue competing for as many years as I possibly can. However, I have spoken with people who have chosen to abandon the stage for a multitude of reasons, which I will discuss here.

Contest Placings: Some individuals get so fed up and discouraged by poor contest placings that they decide to throw in the towel after a while. Those who are realistic will acknowledge their own shortcomings as competitors and harbor a positive attitude, while others may harbor resentment over being passed over by opponents who usually have won their placings fairly.

Not Into It: Though it surprises a contest addict like me to hear, some people have told me that after doing one or several contests, they realized that competing wasn’t something that resonated with them.

Cost: I will tell you honestly that it is VERY costly to compete. Even a local contest has expenses which include entry fees, tan, suit, and accessories. Expenses can become dramatically higher if you factor in makeup and hair services, coaching and training, posing sessions, food, and supplements. If you travel for contests, there are numerous travel expenses which include flight, hotel, rental car, bag fees, gym fees, and incidentals. Believe me, it all adds up. So I am not surprised when people step back from competing for financial reasons.

Physical Demands: It is a challenge to keep up with the intensity of training and cardio which molds a physique into contest-ready shape. Injuries and illness can put roadblocks into contest prep, as can overtraining. I have seen some competitors train so stubbornly and intensely, then exhaust themselves to the point that they are too drained to even think about stepping onstage.

Life events: No one is immune to the impact that a major life event such as a wedding, divorce, job change, move, or death in the family can have on the natural patterns of life that we become accustomed to. Such events can really throw a wrench in the works, and only the most stubborn and determined individuals can stay on track during trying times.

Japanese Good Luck Darumas

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never_give_up

From the time I was a child I was fascinated with the slightly scary Daruma dolls that I would see in the Japanese stores my mom would take me to. I knew that they were good luck and that if you added the right pupil while concentrating on your wish that it would lead to the fulfillment of that wish, after which you could paint in the left pupil. I did not have a daruma until I was an adult and wanted to remind myself of specific goals which I had set for myself.

The Daruma doll is modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch’an (Zen) to China. One legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, which caused his legs to fall off from atrophy. Another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation, he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again.

It is quite powerful to see a Daruma with one pupil colored in, because it causes you to recall your goal. The custom is partially explained through a promise to Daruma-san to give him full sight once your goal is attained, thus motivating him to grant your wish. I believe in the power of these dolls because they serve as a constant reminder of whatever goal or dream you have chosen and keep you on track so that it comes to fruition. I had a Daruma when I was in medical school which helped me to maintain focus during the most arduous times during my education and training. The day that I was able to paint in the other pupil was a very powerful one indeed. Now I have a Daruma sitting on my desk with the right pupil painted in which is a representation of my goal to attain IFBB Pro Status. I see this Daruma daily and am more fixated on this goal than I have been in the entire five years that I have been competing. Painting in that left pupil will be a delicious reward indeed.

Vision Boards and Vision Boxes

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visionboard1A few years back I started both a vision board and a vision box to help me visualize what I wanted to accomplish in my life. While the vision board was limited to a couple of images of female competitors who had the physique I wanted to attain, the vision box held (and still does) clippings of the house I wanted, vacations I wanted to take, and other coveted elements. I have yet to acquire the home and the vacations I wanted, but I have been able to travel as a result of competitions and other fitness events, and I reached my goal of having an enviable physique despite getting older with each passing year.

I now firmly believe in the power of vision boards and vision boxes because they enable one to truly envision what they want. Goals and dreams become tangible when they are focused on with intention. There is a great deal of power in putting your intentions out to the universe and empowering yourself to make the movements and changes which absolutely can manifest in reality. You should frequently look at the items you collect and harvest the belief that they can all come true. Great things happen to those who put their energies towards moving towards goals, no matter how lofty they may be.