The Power of a Book
Tommy
Boone, PhD, MPH, FASEP, EPC
Professor
and Chair
Department
of Exercise Physiology
The
College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN 55811
On Saturday afternoon,
just days after Thanksgiving, I got up from a comfortable chair in my bedroom
to look at an old familiar book; a book that a colleague had discarded
years ago. At the time, I was teaching at a university in Mississippi.
It was a good job, up to a point. While there, it was common practice
to leave my office to walk around the buildings to clear my head and to
think. During one of those walks, I noticed a colleague throwing
things away, and it occurred to me that one of the items that went into
the trash was a book.
I kept thinking to myself, “How could
a teacher throw away a book?” As it turns out, after getting the
book out of the trash, it didn’t look like any of the books taking up space
in my office. After reading the title, The Power of Perception
(1) by Marcus Bach, I almost threw it back into the trash.
Even now as I look out over Lake Superior during a day of rain and clouds,
I wonder why I still have it. But, of course, every time I pick it
up to glance through the pages, I know it is important to me. I kept
it for many reasons. It is an inspiring book and, frankly, I can’t
read it or even flip through the pages and walk away without having gained
an insight or an idea.
As you might imagine, the insights
and ideas that I get when reading the book are directly related to exercise
physiology. Take the title, just a few minutes ago, when I read the
title, The Power of Perception, several thoughts ran through my
mind. What if I change the title to "The Power of Exercise Physiology"?
It might be just the title to catch the reader’s attention. The reader
may say, what is the “power” of exercise physiology? Is it what exercise
physiologists do? Or, is it the profession of exercise physiology
that has power?
Similarly, the subtitle of the book
is “What do you see when you look at a rose?” It is the same question
as “What do you see when you look at an exercise physiologist?” Some
will see the rose. Others see something altogether different.
Likewise, some will see what exercise physiology is reported to be in standard
texts. Others will see what it can be. What do you see?
Does the title The Power of Exercise Physiology motivate you to
think about personal and/or professional possibilities? Does it make
you ask the question, “What is meant by power?”
Titles are obviously important.
They can cause a potential buyer to stop and get a second look at a book.
Obviously, titles are written to catch the reader’s attention. They
can cause the reader to stop and read an article or to purchase a book.
What do you see when you read a title with the words “exercise physiologist”
in it? The answer may be a personal trainer or a physical educator.
Neither is an exercise physiologist nor is a kinesiologist or someone with
an academic degree in exercise science. What you see is an understanding
or insight into your perception, and it is a common occurrence to perceive
(i.e., to feel or to think) that a kinesiologist is an exercise physiologist.
The perception by many practitioners inside and outside of the field is
a frustration to academically prepared exercise physiologists. They
believe the time as come to stop the mis-thinking.
If it is a problem, why is the erroneous
perception allowed and why is it encouraged by college teachers?
Part of the answer, according to the author of The Power of Perception,
may exists in the inability to see the obvious. Or, stated somewhat
differently by the author, new thinking begins with individuals who see
the commonly unseen. Hence, could it be as simple as the teachers’
failure to analyze the academic events and public sector circumstances
that surround them and their students? Is it possible that they don’t
know about the American Society of Exercise Physiologists? Or, is
it that they too busy as an advocate of some other field of work?
Perhaps, it didn't occur to them that ASEP has now organized and carried
out "four” ASEP National Meetings. Have the meetings and the presenters
literally gone unnoticed? These questons are real, and they need
answers because each one has influenced and affirmed the professional development
of exercise physiology.
Those who understand the “power”
of exercise physiology have an inner vision that justifies their deep-seated
beliefs in the ASEP movement towards professional development. Those
who fail to believe in these things fail to see or believe in a fuller
awareness of the potential of exercise physiologists. Or, as Bach
would say, “Faith is the ability to see what others had failed to see,
or to discover what others had vainly hoped to see.”
As I picked the book from the trash
years ago, I could not have realized its significance. Today, though,
Bach's small book (and almost every other book) has something to say about
exercise physiology. Bach has caused me to think about exercise physiology
from many directions, and his “insight” is just one bridge that connects
new thinking with the new reality of exercise physiology. The opinions
of others do matter, especially in written form even if the topic is entirely
about something else. As an example, Bach writes, “What do you see
when you look at a super-highway?” The question itself causes me
to ask, “What do you see when you study the differences in course work
and hands-experiences of a kinesiology curriculum and an exercise physiology
curriculum?” While the differences are important, the primary concern
here is the “stimulus” for asking the question. Hence, by a simple
twist of fate, the author’s words and insight into his own subject have
helped me write this article by using his thinking as a vital and power
plate form to reflect on exercise physiology.
What do you see is an important question,
and the introspection itself is imperative. If we are to understand
the commonly unseen, we need to share our thoughts and ideas with individuals
within and outside of the emerging profession. We also need to look
for relevant relationships in our existing surroundings. Even at
this point in this article, as I write, my words and thoughts fly from
his pages because the way in which Bach writes can be perceived as a template
or application of words and ideas to a variety of fields of thought. Talk
about the power of a book. If we read and if we listen, we will realize
that the message lies in the insight that it provides the reader.
As a writer, I don’t have to travel the road of writing yet another article
for PEPonline without a companion.
Maybe also should one of my articles make its way to the desk of an administrator
or another exercise physiologist, and should either learn that “what is”
within the field is no longer good enough, then, maybe the insights in
my article will trigger a new perception of exercise physiology.
Perhaps also ASEP will intrigue them because they will see the unseen!
Upon thinking about what I’ve just
written, it occurred to me that the administrators’ motive for change might
very well continue to be the well-being of the department. My motive
for change is of course the well-being of all exercise physiologists, which
isn't contradictory to Bach's Chapter 2, Reflection, where is states that
“reflection has many meanings.” When everyone is in tune with the
urge to discover the greatness within exercise physiology as a profession,
it is then the one reflection that will bring us in direct line with our
goals. This is a particularly important point since it is the power
that lies in transformational thinking that begins with reflection process
and the mental and/or emotional impulse to realize our vision.
The ASEP Vision (2)
awakens the unseen by bringing together the imagined with the belief and
common sense that together allows for an inventory of where we are and
what we have to do to realize professional status in the healthcare, rehabilitation,
athletics, and fitness. Taking inventory is a powerful function because
it verifies whether our thinking is in accordance with our actions.
Point in fact, is your answer to the question “What is an exercise physiologist?”
in accordance with your actions? As Bach would say, “Take an inventory!”
Do exercise physiologists really want to have their own profession?
Do they care about a Code of Ethics (3) or a Standards
of Professional Practice (4)? Are they willing
to pay the price for their freedom from the inertia of their past history?
Right answers to the questions just
raised are especially important to the growth and stability of the new
exercise physiology. Wrong answers will demonstrate an unwillingness
to fight to the fight. If the heart isn’t in the battle, it will
be very hard to persuade others. Every exercise physiologist must
have the awareness of those who suffer from our lack of a professional
history and professional credentials. Bach said it best, “…to accomplish
great things we must combine awareness with activity, and to reach a given
goal we must never lose the measure of our dreams.” If I can repeat
the last part of his words in my own way, “we must never give up on our
vision.” Who knows what is possible if we just hang in there.
Together, we have a serious chance to create history for all the right
reasons.
What do you see when you look at
an exercise physiologist? What do you see when you think about ASEP?
Are you fearful of failure or the awesome responsibilities of a new exercise
physiology? Have you thought about the potential for new ideas, new
standards to a new way of thinking, and the discovery of new solutions
to our problems? Maybe this is what is meant by taking responsibility
for stepping up to the plate. I imagine the fast ball puts a little
fear in all of us. For the moment, what is remarkable is that we
have a plate unlike anything in history before us.
Will we do a better job at the plate
than those who came before us? Will we be wiser? The answer
is that we should be, and why not? We carry within us everything
necessary to change the history of exercise physiology. Ask yourself,
“Are you prepared for the journey?” Is the raising of ASEP and exercise
physiology to the status of other organizations and professionals something
you really want to do? If it is, will you take the challenge to lay
hold of your dreams? I believe that it is possible to reach your
goal of being a professional and expressing yourself with your own creativity.
And why not begin by saying, “Inspiration begins with the right to be heard,
the right to one’s own organization, and the right to discern what is important
in life?”
To be frank, it has already begun!
ASEP is reality and exercise physiologists will never be quite the same.
It has changed my thinking, and I’m sure it is doing the same for many
others. It is a matter of expectation. As Bach puts it in The
Power of Perception, “Expectation is a feeling.” It is a way
of thinking that is consistent with what theoreticians say, “Think
great, visualize greatness, hope greatly, and be grateful.” We should
be grateful for our members and their commitment to ASEP. My wife
may have said it best, “All that is needed now to accomplish everything
good for exercise physiology is time.”
Reference
1. Bach, M. (1965).
The Power of Perception. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company.
2. American Society
of Exercise Physiologists (2001). ASEP Vision. [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/vision.htm
3. American Society
of Exercise Physiologists (2001). ASEP Code of Ethics. [Online].
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/ethics.htm
4. American Society
of Exercise Physiologists (2001). ASEP Standards of Professional Practice.
[Online]. http://www.css.edu/ASEP/StandardsofProfessionalPractice.html
Special
Acknowledgment
Having read Marcus
Bach’s book several times over the recent years, I must confess that with
every reading I have learned something else about writing. Everybody
gives their hand at it either by request of a teacher or because there
is something compelling about it. It is as much about faith and expectation
as is our hope for a good life. Bach’s use of words is different
from many books I have read. His philosophic thinking and common
sense application to real life are not only amusing but real; there is
meaning to what he writes about. I understand his father wanted him
to do something useful in his life. That was his wish. It isn’t
that different from most parents’ wish for their children. If I could,
I would like to say that his son's writings have been an insipiration to
me. Thank you.