Jess Racz, Part 3

By /

Every day, you spend an hour with your coach. But how much time do you have to get to know them? Our community is built on the foundation of relationships. To support that, each week, your coach will share a part of their story.

Continued from Jess, Part 1 and 2

The idea of writing my manifesto came from Michael Gaines. During each of our training sessions together, we’d have a purpose for the day. And after each training sessions, there would be a number of questions to reflect on. On that particular day, we we’re talking about values, beliefs, goals, and identity. I had no real, written out values, no real, positive beliefs, no goals other than the Games and no identity other than CrossFit. Values, beliefs, goals, my identity we’re things I had never really thought about to a deeper level. So how would I ever know how to think or how to act? How would I know what decisions to make? How would I know if I was happy? So, that day, I went home, opened up my laptop, and took the next two hours to write my manifesto. The problem? I never looked at it again. I wrote it, I really felt it in that moment, but I never acted in accordance to it.

Fast forward a year later, when I injured my back, I decided to start reading a book, called “Awaken the Giant.” Now, if you haven’t read this book by Tony Robbins, stop what you are doing, stop reading this and go order it now. This will be the best purchase of your entire life, trust me. Because I applied what was inside this book, I was able to make dramatic changes in my life, in my mindset, and in the actions I take everyday (you can read all the books in the world, but if you don’t use what you learned, it is worthless. But that is another blog post for another time). I was able to then go back to my manifesto I had once written two years ago and completely reshape and redefine it in ways that work for me and ignite a flame once again. Because of the ever-changing world we live in, we may need to change our values, beliefs, rules, and definitions of ourselves in order to fit with who we are today, who we want to become, and our priorities and direction in life. That is completely okay and it is a must to be able to continue to grow in all aspects of your life.

So here we go:

Who am I?

I am a CrossFit trainer. I am a graduate of college. I am a listener. I am unconditional friend. I am a loyal companion. I am a daughter. I am a tenacious, gritty athlete. I am an intense, deep-level human being. I am a builder of mindset and personal growth. I am a strength and conditioning coach. I am a force to discover what is possible. I am a stonecutter. I am a power to defeat the odds. I am a curious intellect. I am a reader. I am a writer. I am a guide. I am not a rule-follower. I am not a know it all. I am not a talker. I am a leader. I am a doer. I am full of desire and intensity. I am a role model striving to make an impact on the lives I touch. I am fearless warrior. I am a hard worker. I am full of thoughts, full of imagination, full of ideas. I am a burning flame. I am a change I want to see in the world. I am an empowering female. I am a humbled human being. I am a bright-smiled, anything is possible, adventurous gal.

So who are you? What makes you — you?

What are my values?:

#1. Health

#2. Courage

#3. Forgiveness

#4. Self-Expression

#5. Love and Warmth

#6. Happiness and Joy

#7. Growth

#8. Passion

#9. Impact

#10. Achievement

#11. Adventure

#12. Peace of Mind

I must value my own health — mental, physical, and emotional — to have the courage to do the things and I want to do, and to forgive myself and the people / situations that have hurt me in the past in order to fully express my true self and be open to a place of love and warmth; both giving unconditional love and receiving unconditional love without pushing away. I will then be able to experience the happiness and joy life has to offer and be able to continue to learn and grow myself into a better coach, a better athlete, a better daughter, a better friend, and a better human being. I will be able to continue pursuing my passion; having more motivation and drive than ever before to make the biggest impact on all the lives I interact with on a daily basis. I will feel a sense of achievement to then continue sharing my story and voice in all different places and people around the world and live an adventurous life doing what I love in a way I want to do it, ultimately living in peace of mind knowing I did my best to become the best I was capable of becoming.

Then, I have rules. What does it take for me to feel courageous? What does it take for me to feel love and warmth? What does it take for me to feel happiness and joy? What has to happen in order for me to feel impactful? These rules are ways for me to live out my values everyday, where they are controlled by the actions I take and how it benefits me. My rules for my values have nothing to do with the other person. If I give unconditionally without expectation, the reaction of the person I gave to is irrelevant. What I get in return is irrelevant. If I take the chance to step outside my comfort zone, to act courageously, the outcome or result has no impact on me. Because I acted in accordance to my values, I become a better person.

So what do you value? What is most important in your life? What emotions do you want to experience everyday? What does it take for you to feel ____ ? What has to happen in order for you to feel ___ ?

What are my beliefs?

I believe there is never a loss. There is always a lesson.

I believe in the power of changing your language to the positive.

I believing in having a purpose, a true authentic calling, a justification for your existence, something that gets you up every morning and keeps you up late.

I believe in order to conquer fear, you must define your fear and you must act in accordance based off of your values. Shit or get off the pot.

I believe with persistence, consistency, and a willingness to do the things no one wants to do, you can achieve anything you’ve ever imagined.

I believe in good: I believe everyone has something to offer, something unique to bring of value, strengths to bring to the table. It is your job to find that and put them in a position where they can succeed.

I believe in a never-ending journey of one’s life purpose. A journey that has no destination or GPS direction along the way. If you ask 10 successful people how they became successful, you’d get 10 different answers.

I believe in embracing the suck. It is supposed to be hard, you’re supposed to struggle because that is the only way to grow.

I believe you are already everything you want to be.

I believe if you speak through your life and your life is the story, you will change lives.

I believe in asking better questions, not trying to find better answers.

I believe in finding a role model — staring at who you want to become and acting in similar ways.

I believe the limits you place on yourself are based on who you believe you can become. Choose to be limitless.

I believe a leader guides others to lead themselves.

I believe excellence is in the next 5 minutes, which means excellence can be achieved everyday.

So what are your beliefs? What do you feel certain about no matter the circumstances? Are your beliefs empowering you towards the direction you want to go in life?

Define who you are. Define your values. Define your beliefs. Think it, act it, be it, live it. It’ll change your life.  

Follow Jess on her journey on her Instagram page.

MICHAEL GAINES

Founder & Head Coach

My career started as a personal trainer at your typical “big box” gym franchise. Although it was a challenge from day 1, I was ready for it – clients at 5 am, clients at 9 pm; clients who aspired to be collegiate athletes; clients who had never exercised; clients who wanted a “quick fix” and crash diets; clients who were lost; and clients who were stepping into the gym for the first time.

It was a daily challenge working with a “one size fits all” program and platform created by executives focused on profit over people. Everyone is so different, so why is the program the same for each person?

I became continually frustrated – how was anyone supposed to hit their individual goals with a program created for an “average” person. How were my clients ever going to feel encouraged when their progress and success was based on impossible standards? It was wrong, and I was determined to do something better.

There needed to be a genuine collaboration of long-term strategies aligned with our member’s unique goals and lifestyles. Couple that with a safe place where they are heard, seen, and understood. Where programs for exercise, diet, lifestyle changes, conquering health battles, and gaining control are creatively designed, individually prepared, intelligently managed, and continually monitored. It took some time to get it right, but I finally curated a program in a place where each member is individually recognized, yet part of a like-minded community. A place we call The X…and a program that is Proudly Different.

My name is Michael Gaines, and I am the proud founder and head coach of The X. Before you ask…the answer is yes – I hold numerous certifications and have put in years of research that serves as the backbone of every individual program we curate. Our members are my family, and it’s hard to articulate the joy I get watching them triumph over their health, fitness, and diet battles. The results are real, long-term, and rewarding. Stop in and say hello. Tell us how you define success and we’ll help you get there!

This will close in 0 seconds