Our vision is clear: a society that lives life well. Sure, we have a mission statement and business strategies in line to realize our vision. But those concepts seem insignificant when standing alongside a woman’s decade long struggle with obesity or the collapse of a man’s identity as everything he has ever longed for is stolen by diabetes or heart disease.

Frankly, “business strategies” seem inconsequential when our “target audience” is someone seeking the inexplicable feeling of lining up each jagged edge of their life-long journey in its rightful place and stepping back to finally find a whole self: their whole self.

So we don’t want our blog to be a corporate attempt to generate “buzz” or build “brand awareness.” We want it to be a space that brings together these stories of struggle and vindication and is an insightful reflection of the human experience. It will be a decree that extends beyond “fifty ways to tone your abs,” into a space of self-empowerment and enrichment for the average wellness-wanderer. It will be The Manifesto for our Revolution.

So what is The Manifesto?

Well, it’s what you make it, really. But it’s designed to be…

1. A space to immortalize your story.
2. A space for ideas. Whether we’re posting stories of inspiration, encouraging conversation on corrective exercise, offering guidance in nutrition or equipping readers with new methods of pursuing wellness, this is a space for ideas.
3. A space to serve you. Some ideas you read here be your spark, they may be your next steps, they may be your clarity- wherever you are on your journey to sustainable wellness, this space will serve you.
4. A space to share your journey. A life-long journey can get lonely without a little company. Find your company here.
5. A space of safety.

In order to successfully build this space, there are a few things we should all keep in mind: 

 

We want you to want to be a part of this.

If you are reading and commenting out of hate, spite or external obligation, stop. We open our arms, our hearts and our commenting boards to each and every visitor, but if you don’t want to be a part of our journey, if you don’t seek self-improvement, lasting wellness or a personal connection to your own well-being, find somewhere else to lash out.  

If, for some uncanny reason, you want to stick around but have an uncharacteristic itch to lash out, step back and ask yourself, “Am I moving anyone closer to wellness with this?”  If the answer is a resounding no (or even a slight no), either consider how to rephrase your comment to be constructive, or just keep your mouth shut.

We’ve all met bullies. We know what they do, we know what they say, we know how it feels… and we don’t need them here.

 

Detractors and Distractors aren’t Contributors.

Contribution is key. Whether your contribution is being the strong, silent type on the verge of a momentous breakthrough in your own well-being, writing an uplifting guest post or posting an informative, dissenting comment, your contributions are essential.  That being said, you should know the following:

By detracting or distracting, you are not contributing.

Check it out: there are billions of people in this world, and each one of them has their own unique story, unique path and opinion and they are ALL important. If you disagree with an opinion either on the blog or in the comments section, by all means, speak up… but offer something of value along with it. Don’t just detract.

For example, if we write a post on why CrossFit isn’t for everyone, a detracting comment would be something like, “You’re wrong. CrossFit RULES.” Okay… fair enough, we respect your opinion. But can you offer up why? Do you have a story to share? Fill us in…enlighten our community… be a part of the conversation… CONTRIBUTE!

On a similar note, let’s take a post about Zumba… you leaving a comment about how your dog had fluoride poisoning probably doesn’t add value for anyone reading. Now, don’t get me wrong, your dog having fluoride poisoning may be incredibly relevant to your journey, and we want to know that… but using an unrelated post as your soapbox isn’t making a genuine contribution, it’s tossing in a distraction.

If you find at any point in your journey that you need to share how significantly this fluoride situation impacted you and there just doesn’t seem to be the right outlet, email me your story. It would be my pleasure to share it as a separate post.

 

You must lean in to your discovery.

If you think you can naturally lose 100 pounds in 10 days, you are wrong.  We understand that the longer the journey, the harder it is to make. And yes, this is one heck of a journey… but it is one of personal vindication and enlightenment.

So our challenge to you is to lean in to your discovery. While on this journey, allow yourself to sink into the idea that change is rarely easy and sustainable change isn’t instantaneous.

If you find yourself thinking, “it’s so hard,” or “I don’t have time,” ask yourself whether you’re leaning into defeat… or discovery. If the answer is discovery, then these are the moments you hope for… opportunities to learn and push forward. The truth is, a perfectly untainted path to wellness won’t teach you a darn thing. A path laden with doubt, challenge and even failure can clarify purpose, guide you toward more sustainable change, and maybe even illuminate a personal truth you’ve been searching for.

Those that lean in to discovery will find success through struggle.

Those that lean into defeat wait idly for a new path to present itself, having experienced the same failure, but none of the success.

 

Real change isn’t a momentary adjustment.

There’s nothing revolutionary about a fad diet that brings you back to wherever you started pretty much immediately. The same goes for the thousands of easily monetized (ultimately useless) work-out gadgets and program that are available these days. In light of that,

we shoot for small improvements over time, the incremental development of habits, and the transition to better living… NOT trendy “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days” headlines.

If you believe that you could wake up tomorrow and be a totally different you (one that eats well, exercises daily and has it all together) then this might not be the place for you.

BUT, if you believe that…

1. You will find personal victory in each moment spent living life well
2. Exercise and nutrition should not be isolated incidences of an attempt at “being healthy” but rather critical elements of a life being lived well
3. Change is difficult- so every milestone both reached and missed is a compelling lesson along a truly never-ending journey
4. Wellness can and should be sustainable and meaningful

…Then you may have found your latest page to bookmark.

 

Still unsure about all this?

Try asking yourself these questions:

Do I want to be a part of something?

Do I want to contribute? To lean in to discovery?

Do I want to see lasting, significant change?

Do I want to live life well? 

If you said yes to anything here, then please join, contribute, discover, see change and live life well starting now… with The Manifesto. 

 

 

 

Looking forward to being a part of your journey,

Michael Siler, Managing Director of KinetiCore Fitness