Beauty of Normalcy

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Hi There

Remember my focus? Of course you do. it is all I write about these days, but I mean it is my #OneWord2018 #2018Evolve.

Evolving takes time, we usually do not realize we are evolving while it is happening. During my “evolving” journey I am learning that true joy is found in every ordinary day. Sometimes we just go through the motions, but if we just pause to think or slow down and bring the focus to the inside. To the scary, dark parts of who we really are. We can find the best ordinary moments we do not even notice sometimes.

I find that we are afraid to be ordinary. We filter our social media post, because without it does what I want to say matter or stand out? Will it even be noticed?

I find that ordinary just like normal. Which is relative and like we always ask ourselves: “What is normal?”

Let us be proud to be our normal, ordinary selves and find joy it.

Never give up on the normalcy of you, your dreams and goals. Sometimes following the normal route is not the only way, but there is joyful moments and learning curves along the way.

As Robin Hood says:” Rise and rise again until lambs becomes lions”

Keep Moving!

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

Why I am no Champion/Olympion

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I always ask my athletes if they are normal or athletes. Because athletes are not normal. They do more than what is expected in EVERY training session. They ACT different when it comes to being the BEST. They truly want to be the BEST and that means WINNING the RIGHT way and DOING EVERYTHING it TAKES. Normal people either do not have the drive or discipline, sometimes both. Yes there are some elements that need to be taken in account like talent, body type and genes, but like we have all heard before… It takes 10% Talent and 90% hard Work.

I do don’t mind hard work and giving everything I got. To be honest I just do not have the drive. When I see an athlete leaving his heart out there and pushing the limits I get goosebumps! I know what it takes. What is going on in the body to produce the effort, throw in some technique and the mind that won’t let the body give up. It is amazing!!! When the soul pushes the mind with a will that will not be broken and the mind that takes the body to pressures it has never experienced and the body does what the mind tells it to. They come together and achieve greatness! AMAZING. Keep in mind that this does not just happen. Every training session, every prepared meal, every “no” and sacrifice, every injury, rehab and pain ALL part of that EXACT moment. All coming together in harmony. Beautiful!

For me being able to watch this unfold in my athletes and clients alike is pure bliss. It is what I dream of and what I work for. I am not capable of this but just to have a small part in their glory is enough.

Keep Moving !

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

 

 

 

 

Growing/Evolving Means Putting Yourself Out There

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To evolve or grow you have to get out of your comfort zone.

You have to put yourself out here. “Out there” can comprise of many “parts” of your lives. Meaning it can be physically getting out of your house. Mentally challenging yourself to learn something new or spiritually , by turning your focus with in yourself or on something bigger than you. Point is you need to to something different to change and in this case to grow, to evolve.

That said,  my “out there” is becoming comfortable in my new identity and making friends… Yes, I said making friends. Believe me I am not good at this basic human interaction and need. We all need friends, not a lot but a few people that care about us and that we can interact with naturally and without many confies.

“Making friends” has never been easy for me, but I am putting myself “out there” and it has been an amazing experience. I am meeting fabulous people, not all will I invest my time and friendship in, but I am learning from all of them and I am evolving because of my interaction with them. Without them even knowing they are helping me.

The good news that I also am making friends that I will be investing time and friendship in! This has also shown me that sometimes I am withholding experiences from myself by staying in my comfort Zone… This year I am evolving be living outside my comfort zone. I have 365 opportunities to build my new identity and keep evolving to a better me.

Thank You to my New and Old Friends!

Keep Moving!

God Bless!

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

 

#OneWord2018

 

Hi There

It has been a really long time since I have posted. Well I have been searching my soul, reflecting on 2017 and gaining some perspective. 2017 was an amazing year. I have reached goals way sooner than I thought and that I was ready for. I was very overwhelmed but I achieved a lot and in a sense I am proud. But a lot of work lies ahead of me this is not the end.

I want to share with you my #OneWord2018…

And this year’s word is…

Evolve #2018Evolve

This year I want to grow, grow my business, mature emotionally and my relationship is also maturing/growing, from engaged to married!!! So I chose the word Evolve because it sounds better than 2018Growth… and it describes more accurately what my goal is. This is going to be a year of changing. I am getting married, my business needs to expand more. I want to become more healthy. I am going to evolve into a better me… A different me.

Keep Moving

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

 

 

Simplify

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Isn’t it weird that in our complicated lives we find happiness, joy and fulfillment in the simpler things in life? Why are we constantly complicating thing? It is almost like we are trying to create importance by complicating it. Where it is not level of complicateness that makes whatever important. It is the value you put on something that gives it importance, not adding or layering it.

I think it is time to simplify our lives and simply enjoy what is important this festive season. Let us just be and enjoy the simple things in life.

Keep Moving

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

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People Don’t Change Individuals Do

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We live in a world where “trends” are a constant. Not the trends themselves, but how “things” trend.

Trends are movement that are sometimes funny, cool and serious. But they stay trends, they almost never stick.

#NeverStopMoving is a movement. I hope it is a movement that will stick. It is about the full picture of getting healthy. Changing how we think about getting healthy and incorporating movement into our entire being.

Movement is fluid, permeable,dynamic, interchangeable.Movement is also very personal. Although we all move, how we move is unique to us, why we move is unique to our goal.

For a movement to occur something needs to change or start. Otherwise nothing will change and nothing will happen.

Back to my main point. People don’t change; individuals do. For change to happen we need to start at ourselves. Charity begins at home. Change does not just happen, it is a process. We need to start with ourself, if we all do that a change will happen in our society. Good Trends will then stick and become a movement with a life and direction of it’s own.

#NeverStopMoving

Keep Moving

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

My #OneWord2017

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I do not particularly like this time of year. I love spending time with family and friends, and that everyone seems to make time for each other. But it just seems so forced. We will make time because work has slowed down, some companies even close over the holiday season.

This is also the season we spend a lot of money, more than the time spent working for said money.

This is also the time of year, or for me at least, where we reflect on what we have done, what we still need and want to do. In other words it is a time full of stress and self doubt.  Is there time to reach the goals I have not yet gotten around to? Can I write this year off as a success? What qualifies as success?

My Mentor once told me that new year’s resolutions don’t work. What we should do is think of a word that will be your focus next year. This one word will carry though in EVERYTHING you do and in EVERY aspect of your life next year.

This year’s “#OneWord” was Confidence #2017Confidece. When I speak I do it with Confidence. If I failed, and I did, I did it with Confidence. I also picked myself up with Confidence. I started blogging, with semi- Confidence. It is getting better. I even spent a bit to much money with a bit too much Confidence, but I am admitting to it with Confidence and paying my dues with Confidence.

My Confidence has increased immensely. It has really been amazing. By just focusing on my word #2017Confidence my life has changed. I am Confident in a way I never was.It truly is like a muscle.

I am also taking this time to think of my #OneWord2018 that I can carry through next year. Next year will be a big a year with a lot of changes waiting to happen…

What will your #OneWord2018 be? Will you join me in growing more confident in every aspect? Leave your #OneWord2018 in the comments and lets start preparing for next year.

This Makes Me Really Mad

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So I basically just ranted on my other blog and want to share my own personal thoughts on the matter. #NeverStopMoving is all about changing the way people think about movement, health and getting people to move more and fall in love with moving. Because I truly believe we were made to move!!

I do not believe you need to spend hours in the gym. I believe life is more than that. I believe we should enjoy our life and I believe movement and the fluidity of it is a very, if not most, important to be happy in one’s life and body!! We only have one of each.

So enjoy it! Spend time with family and friend outside and eating. Dance with your kids and spouse!! Laugh, Jump for Joy!! Just Be.

But for this to be possible you have to work in movement in your life to stay moving and active. It is not as difficult as what media makes you believe. It is simply parking at the back of the lot and walking those few extra steps you wouldn’t have…

Preparing food more “smartly” than before… Using coconut oil instead of normal oil… Steaming food rather than frying it… Small doable changes that make the world difference!!

What do you think? Am I that naive to believe that this could change our lives?

Keep Moving

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis

 

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Siels Oefening

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I want to talk about something that has been on my mind for a while.

Like I mentioned before we moved. The move was for our benefit and so far it is going really good, except I am really tired. I had to change my whole routine. My entire way around my schedule need to change to fit into the new driving to and from times!

Also I do not like change or more specifically uncertainty. I do not deal good with uncertainty. I HATE it. I HATE how it feels!

I have not stopped to take a breather since the move and the uncertainty of everything is wearing me down.

I am now listening to my own advice  and remember It’s OK to Rest . You can read the blog by following the link. It is not wrong to rest.

Rest or recovery as it is known in the “Training World” is an important element in training for an event. We know the body needs to recover. How the body recovers is what makes the difference. Recovery

When I say rest, I do not mean sleep and be lazy or do absolutely nothing. I think this is a bad connotation we sometimes have when we hear “rest”.  Rest is not doing anything, it is doing something different or just as a lower pace/intensity.

I like to call rest: “Siels oefening”. It refers to the unburdening the soul. How or which way ever. We are all unique and do this differently.

Let us all unburden our souls to feel re-energized and ready to end off this year!

 

 

 

 

 

I

Speaking The Same Language

Hi There

Sorry for my hiatus… It was involuntary and very frustrating!! We were busy moving and as we all know it totally sucks!! I also struggled to get back online with wifi and companies that provide it… But I must admit that I love the new place and I am back online. I am also closer to my clients! This means I can truly focus on growing the #NeverStopMoving Movement!

Sooo I want to catch you all up on what has been going on!! I am very excited about this so bear with me!!!

If you follow me you might have an inkling about how I feel about MOVEMENT!! I can barely sit still as I am typing this! This is how excited I am.

During the move Squash SA had their national squash academy camp and they invited Hadrian Stiff. He is Mohamed El Shorbagy’s (Former World #1 and current #3) coach. He is also a former Elite Squash Player. Follow the link to Elite Squash for more info on their programme.

First of all I was totally off of my game as I met him during the most chaotic move ever (as I mentioned before) but I want to say….

It was an absolute honour to meet and just observe Hadrian… He really has a passion for movement!!!! Specializing in movement in Squash. It was amazing to get a fresh perspective on teaching movement patterns. I also loved that for once someone spoke my language!!!Movement is feeling and changing and simple yet so hard!! It is personal, individual yet we all share it… We all move. Movement is Life…

Hadrian If you are reading this. I want to thank you for answering my questions and giving me another perspective. Also challenging me to think of exciting ways to share the knowledge with my athletes. We are all, myself included, striving to move more natural, faster and better!

Keep Moving

Jean-Marie’ du Plessis