“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.” –Dallas Willard

Why are we in such a hurry? Why do we rush and rush until life is no fun? I would consider myself a recovering hurrier. A great deal of my life I have spent rushing around, racing the clock trying to get stuff done. Not only was my physical body in a hurry, my mind was always racing. I am now practicing a slow lifestyle, what I call the 4S lifestyle that consists of slowing down, silence, solitude and simplicity.

I recently took a trip to Florida to visit my son and spent some time driving on the interstate. I think it took a few years off of my life. I saw one horrific accident. I could feel the tension on the roads with the fast paced mentality of having to get somewhere fast. Where is everyone going in such a hurry?

What if we all ruthlessly eliminated hurry from our life as Dallas Willard says? I bet we would all be a lot happier and healthier.

Slow Down

When we are rushing around all of the time, we are missing the pure joy of being in the present moment. This is a work in progress for me. My practice consists of simply slowing down and being present to whatever I am doing.

When I am driving, just drive. When I am riding my bike, just ride my bike. When I am eating, just eat. One of the simplest and best things we can do for weight loss and our digestion is to slow down when we eat. Eat mindfully. Don’t multi-task. Eat and appreciate the nourishment that the food is providing for our bodies.

I was watching a golf tournament on TV the other day and yes I love to watch golf, don’t judge me. The player that won the tournament did everything slowly with intention. He ended up being in an eight hole playoff and his demeanor and pace never changed. He was calm, cool and collected the entire time. He moved slowly and gracefully. It was a beautiful lesson in slowing down. I don’t know if his mind was racing, but I am guessing he had that under control as well.

How can we practice slowing down and smelling the roses? I believe it starts with creating space in our lives. Learning how to say no to things that aren’t important. I have learned how to say no without feeling I have to explain my no. If it isn’t a hell yes, than it’s a hell no.

At this point in my life I have an understanding of the amount of down time I need to be fully energized. As an introvert, I need quite a bit of alone time and I don’t have to apologize for that. I am simply being me.

When we stop overscheduling ourselves we can get our life back. We have to be intentional about this or it won’t happen. One practical thing I suggest is to write down your ideal schedule and take small steps to live out that schedule in your life.

Do your best to create margin and space into your schedule so you can take time to breathe and not feel rushed all of the time. My guess is that you will be a lot more productive and happier in the long run. As Thich Naht Hahn says,

 “Smile, breathe and go slowly.”

Silence

Creating a time for silence can be life changing. I used to fill up every spare moment with music or by listening to a podcast. There is a time and a place for that, but when we always have something in our ear, we don’t have the capacity to listen to the inner voice that is within us. It’s harder to listen for and hear prompts from God.

I am practicing detaching from my phone more often. I used to take my phone on walks, but I would find myself subconsciously reaching for my phone. It’s pretty amazing and scary how habitual that is. Silence is a beautiful thing. Not only external silence, but internal silence.

I used to think of silence as eliminating external noise, but I now recognize it is as much about doing our best to eliminate internal noise. I have always struggled with obsessive thoughts and ruminating over things. I would replay scenarios both in my past and my made up future. My mind would spin relentlessly from morning to night and often times in the middle of the night. There was no silence. It was exhausting.

My practice now is twenty to sixty minutes of meditation twice a day to create more inner silence. We are always going to have thoughts, the key is to not get caught up in those thoughts and obsess and ruminate over them. To simply acknowledge the thought that pops up and then let it go. I then come back to my breath or a specific word such as surrender, let go or peace.

Inner silence is a beautiful thing. Just like any other acquired skill in our lives, it takes hours and hours of practice. We don’t have to do sitting meditation to practice it, we can practice being aware of our thoughts every moment that we are awake. When you catch your mind being caught up in the past or planning your future, simply bring yourself back to the present moment.

Solitude

We all can benefit from a certain amount of solitude. Everyone is going to be different with the amount of alone time we need. The purpose of solitude isn’t to isolate ourselves from the world, it’s actually to be more connected. Time in solitude gives us an opportunity to be introspective and do our inner work. To heal from our wounds and understand ourselves better. By doing this we will become better humans and make our world a more joyful place.

I have carried many wounds and hurts in my life and quite honestly, I haven’t been a very happy person. My moments of joy were fleeting depending on external circumstances. The more time I spend in solitude, healing my wounds and understanding myself, the happier I am becoming.

That joy becomes contagious. Because of my time in solitude I am able to go out into the world and spread love as I am being healed. Without this deep inner work and time alone we won’t be able to show up in the world radically free to be our authentic souls. We will continue our old patterns of getting hurt and hurting others.

Practicing solitude can be as simple as spending the first fifteen minutes alone in the morning or it can be purposefully scheduling a long weekend alone. This can be a game changer for our mental health and well-being. It’s just like anything else in our lives, we have to be intentional about our time alone or it won’t happen. Take the time to get to know yourself and fall in love with the beautiful person you are without all of the noise and distractions of your daily life.

Simplify

When did our lives get so complicated? From one of my favorite country bands growing up, Alabama.

I’m in a hurry to get things done

Oh I rush and rush until life’s no fun

All I really gotta do is live and die

But I’m in a hurry and don’t know why

All we gotta do is live and die. How simple is that? Just live life. It’s so easy to get consumed with materialism, social media, fame and fortune. I remember the simpler days before we were bombarded with advertising and gloom and doom from our media outlets all day long.

I am learning a simpler life is a better life. I am in the process of creating more freedom through minimalism. I know that may not be for everyone, but even getting rid of a few things that we have accumulated over the years can lighten our load mentally and physically. 

When we declutter our living space it’s amazing how it somehow declutters our mind. It’s weird, but it’s almost like a high. Try cleaning out your closet and see what happens. I bet you will experience some freedom in your life. Clutter in our external world usually correlates to clutter in our internal world.

I am adopting a less is more mentality. I want freedom more than anything. I want time freedom and financial freedom. I am finding the simpler my life is the greater impact I can have through my writing, podcasting and spiritual warrior coaching.

As they say, do what you love and you will never have to work another day in your life. My life is far from perfect, but I am getting it more dialed in every day. 

Simplicity and clarity about my life’s purpose has helped me to know exactly what I have been put here on earth to do. My singular focus is helping men get out of quiet desperation and start to live a life of divine inspiration.

We can do this by slowing down, creating a time for silence and solitude in our lives and simplicity. This is the 4S lifestyle. Our life will never be perfect, but it can be pretty damn amazing when we start to co-create with God the life we want to live.

We have our default life that will happen to us if we let it or we have our created life that makes us feel fully alive. Most of us live our default life. I propose that we start to live our created life. 

It’s not easy and it will require us getting out of our comfort zone. I am living proof that when we take a chance on ourselves by seeing ourselves the way God sees us, taking a leap of faith pays off. I am choosing to create the life of my dreams rather than accept the status quo default life.

What about you? Are you ready to live the life of your dreams and get out of quiet desperation? You have it in you, I know it because we all do.

Remember this as you embark on your journey. 

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” –Lao Tzu

Listen to the How to Live Slowly and Joyfully podcast here

Watch the YouTube video here

Troy Ismir

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post How to Live Slowly and Joyfully appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

What I am starting to realize that future planning is a trap that keeps us from finding joy in the present moment. Even on my walk this morning I was trying to decide if I should go for a bike ride later in the day. I didn’t sleep very well and my body felt tired, but it is such a beautiful day and I want to be outside. I kept going back and forth in my mind trying to decide if I should go for a bike ride all the while missing the present moment of enjoying my walk. It’s pretty astonishing how much I catch myself thinking about and planning my future. 

The first step to making any changes in our lives is awareness. I am becoming more aware of my propensity to plan. I am learning to recognize when I am in the future and bring myself back to the present moment.

From the book Living Buddha Living Christ, Thich Nhat Hanh shares a simple but powerful practice that I have been utilizing during my walking meditations, while driving in my car and any other opportunity I have to practice mindfulness. It goes like this.

As we breathe in, we say to ourselves, “calming.”

As we breathe out, we say, “smiling.”

As we breathe in again, we say, “present moment.”

As we breathe out, we say, “wonderful moment.”

This is a great way to connect our mind and our body while staying in the present moment. It’s a reminder that life happens in the now. We can’t change the past and the future hasn’t happened yet. It’s an exercise in trust.

Jesus tells us not to be anxious about tomorrow in Matthew 6:34. 

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

So why do we get so caught up in the future and how can we stay in the present moment?

The why for planning my future is wanting to be in control. I want to control my future and we all know that is impossible. Having the illusion of being in control gives us a false sense of security. I have never been very good at going with the flow, but I am getting better at it. 

Planning, organizing and structure has always been my thing, which can serve its purposes, but it can also keep us inflexible and frustrated when life doesn’t go as planned. And how often does life go as planned? Even when it does it has us so stressed out because we are worried if it will go as planned. That leads to nothing but anxiety, worry and stress.

The how of staying in the present moment is reminding myself that I am a child of God. Isaiah 55:9 assures me that God knows what is best for me. 

“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.” 

Our Heavenly Father only wants what is best for us. When we are able to see ourselves the way God sees us, as his children, that frees us up to live in the moment knowing that God is in control. We might as well enjoy in the moment and let go of control. 

If we truly believe in God and see ourselves the way God sees us he will provide for absolutely everything we need. That is the practice. That is choosing faith over fear. I am not perfect at it, but something I am practicing every day of my life.

True freedom is accepting life as it is. Every moment is a wonderful moment. Even the challenging moments, because it is teaching us to be more like Christ. Staying in the now is a practice of a life time. 

Through meditation and mindfulness we can be more present. By seeing ourselves as children of God knowing that God is for us and not against us will allow us to relax and enjoy life. Life only happens in the now and if we aren’t careful we could miss our lives.

Life is busy, what if we all slowed down a bit?

What if we took a deep breath in and soaked up where we are at in our life with nothing but gratitude?

What if we took a deep breath out and thanked God for that single breath because without that breath we wouldn’t have life?

We take so much for granted in our lives. I don’t want to take anything for granted because our life is a miracle and I want to live my life that way. 

Every day is a miracle. Every day is a gift. Let’s take the time to enjoy the present moment because each moment is a wonderful moment.

Troy Ismir

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Present Moment…Wonderful Moment appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

But that has never served me. When I finally decide to come out of isolation, my problems are still there and so are the people that I am struggling to accept, including myself. Nothing has changed.

I am learning a new and healthier way to thrive in my life through solitude. What is the difference you ask? That’s a great question. They both require time spent alone, but with completely different connotations.

Isolation vs. Solitude

Isolation means cutting myself off from the real world and not dealing with it. It’s zoning out watching TV or doing something mindless that doesn’t involve personal growth. For some it may mean playing video games for hours, drinking to excess, spending countless hours at work or getting caught up in pornography. Name your addiction of choice. 

Whereas solitude is spending time alone, not to withdraw from the world in an unhealthy way, but to learn more about ourselves and to hear from God. The ultimate purpose of solitude is to be a better person while resting in God.

I have found when I have spent time in solitude listening to the voice of God is when my inner life becomes strong and powerful as compared to when I check out and don’t want to deal with my reality. Isolation leads to sadness and depression. Solitude leads to peace, joy and happiness.

It’s a Mindset

It’s about a mindset and being intentional with our time alone. One is very unhealthy and one is very healthy. We get to choose how we view it. Isolation and solitude both can get lonely, but it’s what we do with that loneliness that matters.

We can use that time of being alone to play the victim and feel sorry for ourselves, which I have done plenty of times in my life. Or we can take our time of solitude to read books that inspire us, pray, meditate, journal and be still. It’s a time to be open and receptive to God’s guidance.

Isolation sucks the life right out of us. Solitude can energize us as we get more clear on who we are. It’s also a time to heal any past wounds that have been festering.

Get Still and Listen

I recently went on a four day silent retreat where I was able to be still out in nature for hours at a time. No agenda other than to listen to God and connect with my deep self. If you want your life to change, get still. Stop striving and be open to receive. It’s not easy to do as it is contrary to our nature.

I have spent my whole life trying to achieve success, to prove myself, to be perfect, to become somebody. That is a pathway to frustration and despair. When we stop trying to be somebody, we can actually be who we are. That is a very freeing feeling.

Men are especially good at isolating. We don’t know how to express our emotions or don’t feel like it is safe to be vulnerable, so we shut down. We close ourselves off from the real world, because it’s easier that way.

Spend a few days by yourself in meditation and prayer and you will find out more about yourself in those few days than you could possibly in your day to day life. Going off by ourselves may seem like a selfish thing to do, but I think it’s one of the most selfless things we can do.

Practice Underachieving In a Healthy Way

Time of self-reflection and looking in the mirror can be hard, but it is life changing. God will speak to you in transformative ways, if you are willing to stop and listen. It’s a great opportunity to stop doing and to just be. When is that last time you practiced underachieving in a healthy way?

If a silent retreat isn’t your gig, just get away for a day or two with the intent of being still and listening. Take a journal and write down what you hear. Go for long walks with no phone and see what happens. It has the possibility to transform your life.

Isolation leads to quiet desperation. Solitude can lead to divine inspiration. The choice is up to you. I want to challenge you to find a way to create healthy solitude in your life for the purpose of spiritual growth. Ditch the isolation and unhealthy habits and see what God can do in your life. Go on a journey of self-exploration. Give yourself permission to explore your authentic soul. Have fun with it. It will be challenging and it will get uncomfortable, but my experience has been profound to say the least.

It’s a lifetime’s work to get back to our inner soul and overcome our false self. We get pretty good at living a life of ego and pride. That certainly has been my story, but as I practice more solitude in my life, I am realizing that getting back to who I truly am is the path to joy and inner peace. Let’s start to practice solitude instead of isolation. You will be much happier and our world will be a much better place.

Troy Ismir

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Isolation Destroys Solitude Transforms appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

It’s a courageous path and one I want to encourage you to take. Without going on this introspective path we will stay stuck in our addictions and wounds. We will get caught up in the status quo letting life happen to us instead of creating the life of our dreams. The path is narrow and the journey is challenging, but very rewarding. Life is short my brothers, but if we do it right we only need one life. A life of no regrets.

I want you to think of this as a guide map for you or a play book of getting out of quiet desperation. I have found on my journey that when we have these three pillars in place it gives us our best chance of living a life of divine inspiration. Without these three pillars in place we will feel like we are swimming upstream, always fighting the current instead of simply floating down the river of life knowing God is in control.

I have been an upstream swimmer, but I am learning that life is a lot more fun, peaceful and joyful when I go with the flow. That is a hard thing for us men to do. Our nature is to always have to prove ourselves and make things happen. I believe there is a better way.

The three pillars that are the core of living a life of divine inspiration are brotherhood, optimal health and purpose. When we have these three pillars in place it will help us to be better men. It’s uncovering that spiritual warrior that has been buried deep down inside us for far too long. It’s there, we just have to look inside ourselves and uncover it.

Are you willing to go on that journey with me? Are you willing to take a chance on yourself and uncover who you are at your core? Not who the world says you are, but who God says you are. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said,

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Pillar One…Brotherhood

The first pillar is brotherhood. This is all about finding a tribe of like-minded brothers who will support, encourage and pick you up when you have fallen down. And we all fall down. We just don’t want to be that brother that doesn’t get back up. Sadly, most men don’t have one brother in their life they can talk to and share their deepest pain. This leads to a life of isolation, loneliness, despair and quiet desperation.

It can be really challenging to heal from our wounds, shame and guilt unless we share our darkness with at least one other trusted brother. There is a loneliness epidemic going on amongst men and I hope to change that. I have witnessed time and time again that men want to express their feelings, they just don’t feel safe doing it. I have seen how cathartic it is when we are able to share our deepest pain. I see the weight being unloaded from the fifty pound backpack of shame that we carry around the majority of our lives.

It weighs every man down whether we want to admit or not. We have been taught by cultural norms that we can’t express how we really feel and show up in the world as who we are, so we pretend. We put up a façade and suppress everything until we explode. That is unhealthy for everyone.

A brotherhood is needed now more than ever. That is why I created Barbells & Brothers. We need to be in a community where it’s safe to be us. Where we can practice courageous vulnerability. Where we don’t have to suffer alone.

The first pillar and first step to getting out of quiet desperation is finding another brother, community or tribe where you can take your walls down and unpack any shame or guilt you are carrying with you. This brotherhood should provide a safe place where there is never any judgement or condemnation. If there is, then they are not your people. Move on and find another brother. This is a judgement and condemnation free relationship. There is enough shame and guilt we heap on ourselves, we don’t need an added burden to our already heavy backpack.

Barbells and Brothers is a tribe of spiritual warriors that is a brotherhood first and foremost. We are all beloved sons of God. If you are feeling beat up by the world, exhausted, trapped, and powerless feeling like you are battling to endure and question whether you really have what it takes, I want you to know you are not alone. Every man including myself has felt that feeling of quiet desperation. That first step out of quiet desperation is getting in brotherhood. It will be one of the best things you have ever done for yourself.

Pillar 2…Optimal Health

The second pillar of living a life of divine inspiration is being in optimal health. When I talk about optimal health I am talking about divine wellness. Optimal health is achieved by integrating physical, mental and spiritual practices into our daily lives. Too many men are living in quiet desperation because of poor health. It’s time to reclaim our inner warrior and get back to who we are created to be in our essence. We are fully integrated beings of mind, body and spirit. To live our best lives, having a daily practice that incorporates mind, body and spirit will lead to optimal health full of vitality, energy and abundance. It is a life of valor.

With physical valor, we honor our bodies and develop our physical strength to be of greatest service to God. With mental valor, we honor our passions and develop the mental strength to be of greatest service to God. With spiritual valor, we honor our beliefs and develop the spiritual strength to be of greatest service to God.

When we incorporate this pillar into our lives we become optimized beings. We are fully optimized spiritual warriors that have the energy to be of service to each other, our community and to God. When we neglect this second pillar of optimal health we lessen our ability to be in divine inspiration due to poor physical, mental and spiritual health. I see a possibility for every man to better himself through optimizing every aspect of our health. It starts by making it a daily practice. Barbells and Brothers is a tribe of spiritual warriors that integrates faith and fitness into our daily lives.

Pillar 3…Purpose

The third pillar of Barbells & Brothers is living a life of purpose feeling fully alive. Without this sense of purpose there is a feeling of smoldering discontent. A gut feeling that there has to be more to this life. When we have the check the box mentality we become complacent and get mired in the status quo. It’s a life that leads to boredom, mediocrity and addictions.

When we pursue our purpose it’s a game changer. I was in the pharmaceutical industry for seventeen years. Although it was a good job that provided for my family, it wasn’t my purpose, it wasn’t my calling. It was slowly eating away at me knowing that I was missing out on the life that God had intended for me. It was scary to quit my six figure job in the pharmaceutical industry to pursue my purpose, but it was a risk well worth taking.

Living our purpose doesn’t require us to quit our job, but for some of you it might. It’s about going on this journey of discovering who we are and showing up in the world as who God created us to be. That is living a life of purpose. It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we are becoming.

It’s a journey of self-discovery and radical inner transformation. That is taking the road less traveled. It’s a narrow path from what the world tells us to do. It takes courage to become who we are. It takes risk to pursue inner wisdom rather than chase the American dream of power, prestige and possessions. That is the path to quiet desperation. The path to divine inspiration is living a life of purpose, feeling fully alive, excited to get up in the morning not knowing what adventure is in store for us today.

That is the life I am going after. I used to dread Monday’s, now most of the time I don’t know what day it is. As the saying goes, do what you love and you will never have to work another day in your life. I feel like that is where I am at in my life. I am living a life of purpose. It’s simple with clarity.

Without this pillar in our life we are missing out. If you aren’t waking up in the morning excited about the day, I would encourage you to start to create the life of your dreams. We have our default life and our created life. Take some time alone with God and start asking these questions. What are my passions? What are my dreams and goals? How can I make a difference in the world? What gifts, talents and skills do I have?

When we start to ask ourselves these questions and take small steps towards them we will learn more about who we are and what our purpose is. The purpose of our lives is having a radical inner transformation to become more like Christ. It’s a journey of a lifetime.

St. Irenaeus says,

“The glory of God is man fully alive.”

The three pillars of brotherhood, optimal health and purpose are the foundations of living a life that makes us feel fully alive. What is one step you can take today to live that life you so desperately want to live? It is on every man’s heart to make a difference in the world and leave a legacy. The best way we can do that is to be ourselves. To show up in the world being love. In order to do that we have to learn to love ourselves. The journey of a spiritual warrior is going on an introspective journey for a cause greater than ourselves. Let’s go on this journey together.

Troy Ismir

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Three Pillars To Being a Better Man appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

I have always prided myself by living by the no pain, no gain mantra. It has been a mantra of mine for many years as an athlete growing up, when I was a bodybuilder and now someone who is extremely passionate about cycling.

Motivated by Pain and Suffering

For most of my life I have been motivated by pain. I needed pain and suffering to motivate myself. I have had the mentality that if I don’t go all out in the gym and feel beat up, I am wasting my time. No pain, no gain right? Recovery day? I don’t need a day off, that’s for lazy people. I train hard every day.

I had this idea I was going to get in the best cycling shape of my life this off-season. I geeked out and learned all about functional threshold power and watts per kilogram. Basically what that means the lighter I am and the more power I can produce the better cyclist I will be. I started out the year guns a blazing on my bike, training indoors and outside as the weather allowed.

As I was pushing my limit with the no pain no gain mentality I could feel my hip flexors getting tighter and tighter. I could feel me knee swelling up. I have had two major orthopedic surgeries in my day. I tore three knee ligaments playing football in college and I had a hip resurfacing procedure several years ago. Yes, I am bionic and I do set off the metal detectors in the airport. My mentality has been I am going to take my body to the limit and when it’s done, it’s done. No pain, no gain.

I continued to push through the signals that my body was sending to me on my cycling training program to back it down. But I didn’t. I was a man on a mission. I had this vision in my mind that I was going to blow everyone away on my group rides and I was going to be highly competitive in my age group in the races I entered this summer.

As I continued to push through, I decided to add a new stretch into my routine. It’s a banded hip flexor stretch that allows me to go deeper into the stretch with some added tension. With this no pain no gain mentality, I kept going deeper and deeper into the stretch until, pop! I heard and felt this loud pop that dropped me to my knees. I tore my hip flexor muscle that I am still recovering from a month later.

It’s Time For the No Pain No Gain Mantra to Go

The question is, am I finally going to learn that it’s time for the no pain no gain mantra to go. It’s time to lay that antiquated motto to rest. What I am being shown is that pain and suffering does not equal accomplishment. 

My ego and pride mentality says I have something to prove. I have to prove that I am enough because of my willingness to endure pain and suffering. I am being not fit unless I am training to the extremes. I have suffered from overtraining my whole life dealing with pulled muscles, tendonitis and fatigue.

I have learned a very powerful lesson in all of this. I have nothing to prove to anyone. I don’t need to have the no pain no gain mantra ringing in my head anymore. There is a better way to be in great shape without pain and suffering. I can be fit and healthy and not be in chronic pain. I don’t have to beat myself up to feel like I am good enough. 

You can let go of that mentality too. We do it all of the time. We beat ourselves up physically and mentally when we don’t think we are enough.

With Joy…With Love

My reality is that I have a hip tear that I am dealing with, but I am going to use this lesson to allow my hip to heal and get even fitter, but from a place of joy and love as opposed to pain and suffering. I am going to be motivated by joy and the love for my amazing body God has gifted me with. 

I am not going to take it for granted. I am going to allow my body rest and recovery as needed. I am going to train in a way where I have optimal health and fitness without being in chronic pain. No pain, no gain, no more.

God is love. Whether we have a tendency to under-train or over-train, God wants us to love our body. There is pain in under-training and there is pain in over-training. I am finding the middle ground to be the best place for optimal health and fitness.

I love to workout. I love to be out riding my bike. I am learning to do it in a way where it nourishes every part of my being, mind, body and soul. It’s a source of joy and creativity for me. My ego and pride says I have to be in pain and suffer when I train, God says do it in a way that shows love to Him and to myself. 

That is the possibility for all of us. That we take care of our bodies because it truly is a gift from God. The possibility is that we live a life full of energy, vitality, free from disease and pain through the joy of movement and the love for our body. 

My mantra is no longer going to be no pain no gain, it’s going to be with joy with love.

Troy Ismir

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post No Pain…No Gain…No More appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

I think in this world we idolize athletes too much. Many athletes are gifted with great talent, but very poor character. We see it all the time in the news where a star athlete does great things on the field and horrific things off of it.

But there are athletes and non-athletes alike who I admire and respect because they live their life with conviction and character. What is the definition of conviction?

It can be defined as a strongly held belief. Those things which you would be willing to die for.

I am going to share with you the stories of four men who I believe would die for their convictions and one of them has and the other put his life on the line for his convictions.

Brandon Burlsworth

I want you to know that real men cry at movies. And this one had me crying several times. I watched the movie “Greater” the other evening. It’s the story of Brandon Burlsworth. Burlsworth was a walk-on offensive lineman at the University of Arkansas who, over the course of his career went from being an overweight out of shape freshman to a player that would end up being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.

Burlsworth as a redshirt freshman went from a sloppy 300 pounds, lost forty pounds and then bulked back up to 300 pounds the right way and became a powerful force on the Razorback team. He was a leader off and on the field.

He was the first Arkansas Razorback football player to complete a Master’s degree before playing his final game.

Life Lessons from Brandon Burlsworth

BE A ROLE MODEL

It’s not the length of time we are on this earth that matters it’s what we model every day while we are alive that is most important. Brandon modeled to us if you have faith and trust in God that what seems impossible is possible.

DO THE RIGHT THING EVEN WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING

Houston Nutt the coach at the Arkansas Razorbacks started a saying after Burlsworth death. “Do it the Burls Way.”

A saying that meant do it the right way, even when no one is looking. Brandon would get up every morning at 5:15 and work on his footwork to be the best football player he could be. He was diligent in the study of the Bible and was not swayed by anyone else’s opinion. He knew what he wanted and he went after it with all of his heart and soul.

LEAVE A LEGACY

Brandon left a legacy with his Brandon Burlsworth Foundation. This is a Christian organization whose mission is to support the physical and spiritual needs of children. In particular those children who have limited opportunities.

Tragically he was killed at the age of twenty-two in a car accident while on his way home from the University of Arkansas to attend church with his mom.

Brandon’s legacy lives on twenty one years after his death.

Desmond Doss

The next man with courageous conviction was Desmond Doss He was a young Seventh-day Adventist Christian who refused to carry a gun and had not killed a single enemy soldier during World War II. His only weapons were his Bible and his faith in God. He was the first conscientious objector to receive the esteemed Medal of Honor.

With a continual prayer on his lips, he vowed to rescue as many as possible before he either collapsed or died trying. His iron will and unstoppable courage resulted in at least 75 lives saved on May 5th, 1945, his Sabbath.

That is the ultimate level of conviction when we are willing to die for our beliefs. Desmond Doss is a rare soul. How many of us are willing to die for our beliefs? It’s a reminder to me what conviction truly means.

His story is told in a powerful movie, “Hacksaw Ridge.”

Life Lessons from Desmond Doss

FERVENTLY BELIEVE THE BIBLE

Desmond lived his life in a way that his first duty was to obey God. When it came to the Ten Commandments, he applied them personally. With the sixth commandment in mind, thou shalt not kill, Desmond vowed that he would never take another person’s life.

Desmond also took the fourth commandment to heart, remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. He asked for a weekly pass from the Army to attend church every Saturday.

EXPECT TO BE PERSECUTED

Desmond’s ways were completely different than the Army’s way and the world’s ways. He was ostracized, bullied, called awful names, cursed at and they tried to court martial him for his beliefs. No matter what they did to him, he refused to leave. His unwavering convictions were most important to him.

LIVE THE GOLDEN RULE

Desmond lived his life by this scripture Matthew 7:12. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Doss never held a grudge. He was there to help heal the blisters on soldiers’ feet. He was the medic by a soldier who fainted due to heat stroke offering his own canteen. He treated the soldiers who had mistreated him with kindness and compassion.

He earned the respect of the other soldiers when he was willing to risk his own life to save theirs. Desmond’s unshakeable faith and willingness to follow God no matter what the cost is an inspiration to all.

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow is an athlete I have looked up to for a long time. I became a big fan of his while living in Orlando, Florida and watching him lead the Gators to two national championships and win the Heisman Trophy.

If I was going to admit to a man crush it would have to be on Tim Tebow.

Not only do I admire the legacy he left on the field, I admire even more what he has done off of the field. He has been a man who has lived his entire life with courageous conviction.

Life Lessons from Tim Tebow

SHARE YOUR FAITH

Tim has never been shy about sharing his faith. Tim started putting scripture on his eye black in college, a tradition he carried forward into the NFL.

Tebow said God led him to write John 3:16 under his eyes for all the world to see while he played.

After winning the national championship game he found out something pretty amazing happened during the game, 94 million people googled John 3:16.

Fast forward three years when Tim was playing for the Denver Broncos. He was still wearing the John 3:16 eye black. After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in a playoff game a miracle story of John 3:16 is revealed.

During that game Tim threw for 316 yards, his yards per completion were 31.6, his yard per rush were 3.16, the TV ratings were 31.6 and the time of possession was 31.06. Coincidence? I think not.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

One of the things that Tim Tebow is most known for is his personal stand against premarital sex. He was very open about this when he was a single man. It was a strongly held conviction that he never wavered on. He has been very open and often ridiculed for his choice to remain celibate while single.

Tim was true to his beliefs and never backed down on what he considered to be God’s plan for his life. He remained true to himself and eventually found a marriage partner who had the same convictions as he did with his now wife Demi-Leigh Tebow.

GIVE BACK

Tim has generously given back through his Tim Tebow Foundation. One of the things he is most known for is his passion for helping people with special needs through the Night to Shine.

Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience, centered on God’s love, for people with special needs ages 14 and older. On February 7, 2020, Night to Shine celebrated its sixth anniversary. On one night, 721 churches from around the world came together to host Night to Shine for approximately 115,000 honored guests giving them an experience they will never forget.

Tim lives by the motto of Luke 12:48. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Jesus

And now we come to the ultimate model of how to live our lives with courageous conviction, Jesus Christ.

Life Lessons from Jesus

TO BE FIRST YOU MUST BE SERVANT OF ALL

Jesus came to serve and showed us what it meant to live with a servant’s heart. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Jesus life exuded the conviction of being a servant. Jesus performed a simple act of washing his disciples’ feet during his last few hours on earth. He was demonstrating humility and being a servant.

DO THE WILL OF THE FATHER

Another of Jesus convictions was to do the will of his Father. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38

Jesus modeled that we are to follow God, live a life that honors Jesus and do the will of God in our own lives.

SPEND QUIET TIME WITH THE FATHER AND PRAY

Jesus found a balance between being with people and being alone in silence and solitude with his Father. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Jesus modeled for us how important it is for us to take time every morning to pray and spend time with our heavenly Father. It is without a doubt one of the most transformative things we can do that will change our lives.

I am inspired by these four men who lived lives of courageous conviction.

I pray daily that I can live my life with courageous conviction the way they did.

Until we are ready to die for something we aren’t really living.

To live with that level of conviction is a rare thing. It’s a work in progress for me. I know it’s possible because I have seen it through these men.

What if you lived your life with courageous conviction? What are you willing to die for?

My prayer is for every man to live with courageous conviction. That we live inspired lives of purpose feeling fully alive.

Troy Ismir, MS
Spiritual Warrior
Founder and Creator of Barbells and Brothers

The post Twelve Ways to Live With Courageous Conviction appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

I came across the term muscular Christianity the other day when I was reading a book called Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas. Those two words put together resonated deeply with my soul.

Muscular Christianity can be defined as a Christian commitment to health, fitness and manliness. It stresses the need for energetic Christian activism in combination with an ideal of vigorous masculinity.

The question is what is an ideal level of vigorous masculinity and what does manliness mean? Historically our definition of manliness and vigorous masculinity has been based on performance, achieving and proving worthiness out of a fear that we are not enough.

Muscular Christianity Redefined

I would like to offer up a new way of looking at muscular Christianity. Muscular Christianity is when we show up in a way knowing we are sons of God with nothing to prove. Our self-worth is based on seeing ourselves the way God sees us.

As someone who embodies muscular Christianity, we operate from a place of being courageously vulnerable. We show up knowing we are sons of God and we are enough just as we are. We have no need to control, prove ourselves or make our lives about performance.

We live knowing our safety and security comes from our identity in Christ. This allows us to take chances on ourselves. Our heart is open and loving, focused on living a life of purpose that makes us feel fully alive.

It’s now about powering through, will-power or struggle. It comes from a deep place of knowing God is in control and we are not. That God is directing our paths in a way that honors and glorifies Him.

Our Greatest Fear is We Are Not Enough

So much of my life I have spent trying to prove myself. I have been trying to prove my worthiness in the gym, on the athletic field, on the golf course, through endurance events and in life in general out of the fear that I am not enough.

As an athlete I was recognized for my athletic feats. I was praised for my ability on the football field. As a bodybuilder I was praised for the way I looked. I always felt like I had to look or perform a certain way to prove I was worthy of people’s love. How I felt about myself was dependent on other people. It has been a constant battle of proving, achieving and performing.

I am finding out this is most men’s battle. We never feel like we are enough. The response to this constant battle is typically complacency or over-aggression. Men become passive or angry and violent.

Currently, we live in a world suffering from racial injustice, out of control violence and abuse from men, and a pandemic that has turned our health care system and economy upside down.

We are lacking leadership and direction. Instead of being united as one race, the human race, we are a nation divided into many. We have created a patriarchal culture of I am better than you because of race, gender and socioeconomic status.

Violence and patriarchy in various forms have become the status quo.

I am calling for a revolutionary change of what it means to be a Christian man in today’s world.

I am calling for Christian men to stop living from a place of quiet desperation of having to prove, control, perform and achieve.

A New Possibility of Living Revolutionary Lives

The new possibility is we live revolutionary knowing we are sons of God and we are enough.

Our lives and our world will start to be transformed when men stop living our lives in an emasculated and unfulfilled state of being. When we live from a place of wholeness we will take off our masks and show up as our authentic selves.

Jesus Defines Muscular Christianity

When we look to Jesus as our role model, he was the perfect combination of what muscular Christianity looks like.

He first and foremost was compassionate. He lived his life in service to others putting others needs before His own. He spent his life hanging out with sinners.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Jesus was also a warrior who was mentally strong. He spent 40 days in the desert fasting being tempted by Satan without giving in. He also overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple courts.

“It is written,” he said to them, “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” Matthew 21:13

Jesus was also physically strong. It was estimated that Jesus walked just over 3,000 miles during his three-year public ministry. His estimated total amount of walking was over 20,000 miles amounting to about 20 miles per day.

When we use Jesus as our model of muscular Christianity it’s the perfect balance of power, love and self-discipline.

I climbed my first 14er the other day in Colorado. It was a very humbling experience. It revealed to me how big our God is and how he can be found in nature. In the past climbing a 14er would have been about proving myself. 

In my spiritual maturity I have learned that time spent out in nature is about connecting with God, being healthy and active and enjoying camaraderie with other brothers. It isn’t about proving my self-worth as a man.

My prayer for men and our world is that we are healed from the need to prove and perform for us to feel like we are enough. That we can be a part of the solution rather than the problem.

When men start to show up as muscular Christians with Jesus as our role model we will start to transform ourselves and the world we live in.

Troy Ismir, MS

Fitness Minister

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Muscular Christianity (Redefined) appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

That’s a quote from one of my clients, Daniel Weiner, who set a big hairy audacious goal of completing his first marathon. He crushed his goal the other day with a sub-four hour marathon. It was what he called a silent marathon. It wasn’t part of an event. There was no pomp and circumstance, it was just him, a buddy for support and me as his coach and friend.

Set a Goal that Excites and Scares You

The purpose behind this goal for Daniel was to push his limits. To see what he was capable of. To do something that excited and scared him at the same time.

He wanted to recapture that feeling of athleticism, warrior spirit and strength of his youth. He was determined to lean into his edge and live the life of adventure we all so desperately crave.

So many men are successful in life and are high performers, yet we feel like something is missing. We are tolerating life and living in quiet desperation. Boredom is a dangerous place for a man. It is our enemy. Life has a way of taking our sense of adventure away.

Take a Chance on Ourselves

The only way to overcome this feeling of boredom and loss of adventure is to take a chance on ourselves like Daniel did.

I am a big believer in setting big hairy audacious goals. It gives us something to train for. It gives us a reason to push our limits physically, mentally and spiritually.

As Daniel said, it’s about changing the way we see ourselves and others. It’s a pretty amazing accomplishment to complete a marathon, but that’s not really the point. It’s the transformation that we go through in the process. It’s about changing the way we see ourselves.

It’s about experiencing the struggle, pushing through and persevering and recognizing we are capable of so much more than we think we are. A big hairy audacious goal is a spring board for doing just that.

I have had clients set big hairy audacious goals such as climbing a 14er, doing the Murph Challenge, losing 100 pounds, completing a ½ marathon and doing a Spartan Race. The sky is the limit.

No Limitations

You are capable of doing things you never thought possible. You have powers you never dreamed of. There are no limitations on what you can do.

Are you ready to begin your journey of reclaiming your inner warrior?

Do you have an inspiring dream you want to achieve? Then get after it.

Do you have a desire to make a big impact in the world? Then take a step towards it.

Do you want to get out of your comfort zone, face fear and take action? Then set a big hairy audacious goal.

Do you crave adventure and are willing take risks on your journey? Then don’t hesitate, make it happen.

Are you 100% committed? This doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes hard work, commitment, perseverance and struggle.

I want to challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, set a big hairy audacious physical adventure or fitness goal. You will be challenged to push your limits physically, mentally and spiritually. Your goal will excite and scare you, and you will have serious doubts whether or not you can accomplish it.

Whatever you do, don’t go on this journey alone. Daniel had the support of his wife, his daughter, his best friend and me as his coach. That’s the best part of all this. Doing this as a community as part of a tribe of spiritual warriors.

Daniel, you are a “Spiritual Warrior.”

Troy Ismir, MS

Spiritual Warrior Coach

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

Barbells & Brothers Podcast

The post No Limits appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

By Troy Ismir, Barbells & Brothers

When we think of a warrior we usually think of a fighter. Someone who is willing to go into battle and fight until his death. That is noble indeed. 

There is so much more than being a warrior than fighting. In fact, a true warrior often craves peace and doesn’t look for a battle, but is willing to go there if need be.

One characteristic of a warrior that I am working on is discipline. Not from a physical aspect because I have that one nailed.

It’s from the discipline of giving my gifts ferociously every single day. Letting nothing stand in my way. It’s knowing what my work is and not letting any external forces stand in my way.

As I am writing this, I am not really feeling like it. It’s 6:45 on a Monday evening. It’s cold and rainy out and I am tired. I want to go lay on the couch and do nothing but watch another episode of “A Million Little Things” that I recently got hooked on.

My mind goes to who cares, nobody is going to read this anyways. No one cares what I have to say.

Then I flip the script and think well God cares what I have to say. He has called me to do this work of helping men live a life of purpose feeling fully alive. I am not going to be much help to anyone if I fall into complacency and self-doubt by watching a TV show that makes me sad anyways.

Some days it’s not easy to cultivate warrior energy. It takes hard work and discipline.

God reminds me every day that I am not here just for myself. I am here to make a difference in the world and that requires discipline. It requires I share what’s on my heart so I can help other men who are struggling with complacency and lack of purpose.

The hardest part of writing for me is the discipline to sit my butt down in front of the computer and write. There are so many emotions that I battle.

The fear of rejection is a big one. People not liking what I have to say. I am working on being courageously vulnerable. Being brave enough to share the struggles in my own life so people know its ok to share the struggles they are facing.

I am very disciplined in my physical training. Why is it such a battle to make time to write? I think most of the time it’s because I doubt I have anything of value to add to the world.

The way I have to learned to overcome this battle is to see myself the way God sees me; as a Spiritual Warrior who is willing to fight and share the truth of Jesus.

My plan is to keep sharing my gifts every single day, not letting anything stand in my way and caring less of what people think and more of what God thinks.

What is it for you that is holding you back from sharing your gifts ferociously every single day?

Podcast link to this weeks episode of Barbells & Brothers “12 Codes of a Samurai Warrior“

Troy Ismir, MS

Fitness Minister

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Warrior Energy appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.

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By Troy Ismir, Barbells & Brothers

We live in uncertain times. We are uncertain when this COVID-19 virus will be behind us. We are uncertain about when the economy will start to come back to some level of normalcy. We are uncertain about what tomorrow will bring.

This can bring a feeling of uneasiness, anxiety, despair and hopelessness. If we are all honest with ourselves we have experienced all of those emotions to some extent over the past several weeks as all of our lives have been profoundly impacted during this crazy time we live in.

What I am learning to do in my own personal journey is to embrace uncertainty as the theme of my life. It hasn’t been something I have been particularly good at over the years. My personality tends to prefer structure and predictability. We all need some structure in our lives or it would be utter chaos. Maybe that’s how you feel right now, like your life is turned upside down.

When I talk about embracing uncertainty as the theme of our lives, I am talking about finding joy in the mystery of life. That our God is a mysterious God, but he is also a loving God. If we could figure out God, then he wouldn’t be God would he?

It may be hard to find joy in our lives right now as we are in a state mandated lock down. We see the numbers of lives lost daily. We’ve seen our stock portfolio drop faster than you can say Kingda Ka. The tallest roller coaster in the world that will drop you 408 feet at 128 mph. You better hold on for dear life on that bad ass roller coaster. I think that’s how a lot of us feel right now. We are reeling from a 408 foot drop at Mach speed.

I am here to tell you that there is another way. This is what I am practicing right now. I am practicing finding joy on the inside. To feel joy in my life even in all the uncertainty. To embrace the mystery of life, knowing that somehow this will all work out for good.

I have been diligent in meditating every morning for twenty minutes. I am working on becoming a better man through all of this. I am working on being a better entrepreneur through these uncertain times.

I have already learned that I can reach anyone in the world through technology. I can share hope, encouragement and inspiration across the globe through my writing, my podcasts and training and coaching clients through the Zoom platform.

I am seeing possibilities for a bright future even in the darkness. There will always be uncertainty in our lives. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. We aren’t even guaranteed the next hour.

What we are guaranteed is a God that loves us unconditionally. It’s up to us to choose that and to see ourselves the way God sees us. It’s up to us to believe in ourselves.

We can choose to embrace uncertainty as the theme of our lives and surrender to the mystery of God, or we can live in a state of emotional upheaval leading to depression, anxiety and hopelessness.

I am going to continue to practice embracing uncertainty as the theme for my life. I know I will fail many times over, but that’s alright. I am learning day by day that there is hope even in the chaos.

There will always be uncertainty in our lives, so we might as well learn how to embrace it and find ways to thrive in a world full of mystery and uncertainty.

Troy Ismir, MS

Fitness Minister

Founder and Creator of Barbells & Brothers

The post Embracing Uncertainty appeared first on Faith & Fitness Magazine.