Many moons ago, I would go to the gym every Saturday morning for a self-directed spinning session…and while in class, I loved grinding and digging it out to hard core rock music and pounding trance, I found that on my own, I preferred to get lost in a good audiobook or podcast.
And my absolute favorite was the show hosted by Jillian Michaels — I loved her attitude, her belief in whole foods and hard work, and the personal stories she shared that proved she was not perfect (despite what her amazing arms might make you think).
image source: jillianmichaels.com
Then, she disappeared. The podcast ended and she re-focused on The Biggest Loser and her own website. I was sad, but I moved on, too.
But she’s back, baby!
Jillian is hosting a revamped version of her podcast (http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/jillian-michaels-podcast/) and I love it. It’s not super polished or flashy, but it is a really listenable stretch of time with Jillian, her producer, and call-in guests.
All of that is leading up to my point: Jillian always makes me think. In a recent podcast, she talked about fear and how easy it is to give in to its pull. She shared a story about learning how to snowboard, and trying to understand that to get down the mountain safely, she had to let go of her fears of falling and just let her body and the board do what they needed to do.
Of course, she fought it for a long time. She’d point the board down the mountain and then get insider her own head, panicking until she overcorrected and fell…the very thing she’d been afraid of.
She talks more about the power of fear, but that topic really connected with me. I have a lot of fears — my safety, the safety and health of friends and family, the seeming instability of finances, professional decisions, personal choices…
…but being afraid doesn’t change the outcome. Yes, fear can help me think twice before taking a risk, or help me make backup plans in case of a disaster. But when I freak out over the possibility of bad things happening, it doesn’t stop them from happening. Heck, the law of attraction would indicate that when I worry, I actually manifest my fears.
I think some fear is healthy, but it can’t be what directs our lives. We need to own our fears, do everything we can to prevent bad things from happening, and then try and embrace joy whenever possible. We learn from mistakes, too, so even if our fears do come true, they don’t need to lead to total meltdowns.
And that’s your (my) moment of Zen for the day.
So tell me:
a) What is your biggest fear in life, and how do you prevent it from taking over?
b) Are you a Jillian Michaels fan? I know she’s controversial in fitness camps!
About Katy
i love her podcast! i don’t know why but i just find it super motivating to listen to!
Amanda – RunToTheFinish recently posted..Workouts and Goals: Live Ultimate 5K
My biggest fear is heights. It has gotten better over the years but I do still have what I know are irrational thoughts about plummeting to the ground when I am on a bridge or even sometimes the second story of the mall. I have learned how to control it but you will never find me jumping out of an airplane.
I use a lot of Jillian Michaels DVD’s and find them very effective.
Dina recently posted..Run For Sherry Arnold
this post is fantastic! I’d definitely say my biggest fear is pursuing my dreams without feeling financially strapped. I want to take the leap but then I look at my bank acct, credit cards, student loans, car payment and then I just recoil and think maybe next year.
As for Jillian, I <3 her. I think her tough love is frustrating but also genius. I'm excited for her podcasts!
I definitely think that when we concentrate too hard on our fears we can make them actually come true, where they otherwise might not have. While I’m not a huge Jillian fan (I disagree with how hard they push people on The BL and on The Doctors she was always coming down on vegetarians), she does tend to make me think too.
Amber K recently posted..For My Sweetheart On Valentine’s Day
I am a big Jillian fan. I think she goes after her goals and dreams and I admire her for that. Plus, she knows her stuff and I love her to the point attitude. I didn’t realize she did podcasts. I’ll ahve to check that out. I loved her Unlimited book I read. It covered the fear topic as well. Lots of great things to reflect on.
I know health related one of my biggest fears is that I will fall back into binge eating and lose all the balance and health I have worked so hard for. BIG fear!
Tina @ Best Body Fitness recently posted..The First 14 Miler
I love Jillian’s podcasts. I found them back in December, and they’re perfect for long walks. I think she’s super motivating!
Katy @ A Shot of Life recently posted..DIY Jewelry turned Makeup Box
My biggest fear is ending up with the same health problems my Mom had, and needing a kidney transplant. It’s a real fear due to the hereditary kidney disease that runs in our family. I do what I can to ward it off diet/fitness
As for Jillian, I agree that she can me motivating, but her approach is NOTHING new. Plenty of PTs (like myself) use many of the same techniques, it’s knowing who to push and how to push them. I think leaving the BL was a bad move for her, to go to the doctors? Um isn’t the whole point of the show that it’s panel is DOCTORS? Which Jillian is clearly not! That would be my one big issue with her. She offers advice on things she shouldn’t! She’s NOT a doctor, she’s a personal trainer. It isn’t within our scope to offer specific dietary advice (other than macro nutrient %) or hormones etc. That’s why DOCTORS are there, Know your boundaries! I also think she sold out with the supplements…
Di recently posted..Biggest Loser Season 13
I am huge fan of Jillian Michaels’ Podcast series too! I think her perspective is a lot different that what was portrayed on the Biggest Loser. Her podcasts are great because she talks about things that indirectly effect our health and delves into things about mental health and emotional health, which I think are important and often over-looked.
Jordan Lynn (Ciao Cow) recently posted..Goin’ Gorillas
My biggest fear has always been failing and disappointing others. In some ways it definitely motivates me to push myself and always commit to my goals, but it definitely also leads to lots of anxiety and beating myself up when I don’t always deserve it. I love Jillian Michaels and I really really loved this post!
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..Barrio Cafe
I can totally identify with the story of Jillian learning to snowboard. One of my big fears is open water swimming and the ocean. But, I also wanted to learn how to surf. Oceans, waves and open water swimming kind of come hand in hand with surfing. By learning how to surf and arming myself with techniques to handle different situations has helped me face my fear head on and realize that I can manage it. Yes, it is still scary and unpredictable but I don’t feel helpless. Great post!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..Vacations Reconsidered
I love Jillian’s podcast. My favorite part is actually when she answers people’s calls, because sometimes she strays too much into talking about herself rather than other people (or she spends 5 minutes at a stretch giggling with her producer). It’s such a great podcast for a walk, though, especially because you want to keep going and finish out the hour.
Erin recently posted..Guest Post: Dinner With the Girl & the Goat