PEPonline
Professionalization
of Exercise Physiologyonline

An international electronic
journal for exercise physiologists
ISSN 1099-5862

Vol 3 No 2 February 2000

 

Passion: The Inner Drive
Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, FASEP, EPC
Professor and Chair
Director, Exercise Physiology Laboratories
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN


Ask yourself these questions:
    1. What is it about exercise physiology that you like?
    2. What part of it moves or inspires you?
    3. Is there something about exercise physiology, even if you don’t get paid a lot for what you do?
Whatever it is about exercise physiology, it is driving you to continue.  You see yourself as an exercise physiologist, and you like what you see.  The image creates the energy that keeps you going.  That’s because the emotional feelings you experience as an exercise physiologist are positive.  You like the idea of being an exercise physiologist, and it isn’t complicated.  It’s simply your emotions, feelings, and possibly even your love for the profession. 

Not all exercise physiologists live with passion and vision.  That’s why those who believe in ASEP may appear outside of the mainstream thinking.  What most people don’t understand is that passion often means being different, being a pioneer, and having new ideas.  Think about it.  What is passion?  Is it the driving force that keeps you going?  Perhaps, you had a dream at one time to work with people in helping them to live a more positive lifestyle.  Is it the dream that awakens you in the morning and causes you to rise early with a mission?  Maybe today is the time to discover the inner power that fuels the driven.  Have you been considered a little crazy for wanting to continue in exercise physiology? 

If the answer to these questions is “Yes” – you are probably trying to realize your vision, your mission in life.  You are also aware that you will do almost anything to achieve it.  That’s passion.  So, next time your colleague, friend, or family member says “It is useless to keep trying,”  remember the following:

"...you can do anything you want to do.  You can be anything you want to be.  You can go anywhere from where you are -- if you are willing to dream big and work hard." -- Robert Schuller
Several years ago, I read Robert Schuller’s book (1), “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.”  I like reading and exploring the feelings behind the ideas that we have the ability to control, change, and make out of life what we dream.  The idea that nothing can stop a person from becoming the best, and that anyone has the power within him- or herself to achieve his/her dream isn’t just a dream.  I believe we all have passion.  It is just that at times different circumstances, people, even friends and colleagues keep us from realizing our potential.  We are discouraged when others laugh at us.  We may even feel that what we are doing is not just wrong but dumb.

For many of us, we need support and understanding to release our passion.  We are compelled to keep quite and to follow along.  Gradually, we forget about our dreams, and our motivation to help others.  We become too self-centered with our own issues and, thus lose sight of the good feelings that once inspired us.  Life isn’t what we expected it would be, and where’s the energy?  Without a vision or a purpose for your work, the day drags on like yesterday.  Nothing seems right.  Where’s your passion?

Passion is the force that drives us forward even when our motive, intellect, and character are questioned.  It is the vision of something better for all exercise physiologists.  The idea that we have the right to our own future is a good feeling.  It is inspirational.  It is motivational, especially the desire and drive to rule over our destiny.  We are gradually coming to understand the shift away from sports medicine leadership.  While useful some years ago, it is now important to find ourselves as exercise physiologists. 

Gradually, we are shifting away from one form of leadership to another.  The energy, force, and/or motivation necessary to move forward comes from the emotional commitment that nothing less than professionalism is acceptable.  It is the hope, trust, and faith in all exercise physiologists that just around the corner circumstances will improve.  All that is required is either an idea, hope, perhaps a dream or a vision, and for certain, passion.  Of course some of us are afraid of saying too much.  Afraid of taking risks, to fail, or to speak out.  Fear of what others might say blocks many from acting on what should come naturally.  Remember, however, we have to unlearn conditions that rob us of our emotions and enthusiasm.  We must allow ourselves the right to let our feelings out.

 “You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning in your own.”  --  Ralph Waldo Emerson
All ASEP exercise physiologists, without exception, should help other exercise physiologists understand the importance of thinking about work related conditions, what the future will be like some years down the road, how they will inspire each other, the importance of supporting a common vision, and the reality of change.  We can help guarantee our fulfillment and happiness by taking risks. 
 “Often the difference between a successful [person] and a failure is not one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one’s ideas, to take a calculated risk – and to act.”  --  Maxwell Maltz
Risk taking doesn’t come naturally.  Take joining ASEP as an example.  For some exercise physiologists, they feel uncomfortable doing it, but that is exactly the point behind risk-taking.  Most know they need to join to build a collective future.  But in order to do so, they must act.  They must express themselves even in face of failure, embarrassment, and criticism.  Speaking up is important.  Learning to invest in your future is worth taking the risk.  Helping others understand what is right with starting a new organization is O.K.  It allows for new ideas and feelings that set the stage for action, attitudes, and hope.

Stepping outside of the comfort zone is uncomfortable to say the least.  But, we may help exercise physiologists with their uneasy feelings:

1. By encouraging them to stop avoiding what they fear.  If sports medicine is considered their organization, give it a heart-to-heart examination in reality.  If resisting ASEP is believed important, stop, read, and reflect on its intentions.

2. By suggesting to them to read the PEPonline journal.  If the journal is believed to be full of  non-sense stuff, then encourage them to read them and re-read them.  The truth will become evident.

3. By choosing to think critically.  Point in fact, “If we do what we have always done, we will get what we have always gotten.”  (2)  We must allow ourselves the mental and emotional circumstances to think as free professionals.  Free to take risks, even in face of criticism.  Free to let go of what we have so we can be better.  Free to reframe what we are into what we want to be.

4. By communicating our energy, beliefs, and feelings about ASEP.  Today, next week, and the month after that, we should network more, teleconference more, and email more about ASEP.  We must become more interactive.  Others can and will learn from our work, whether by electronic journals, articles, graphs, pictures, or “yourself.”  Take a risk, listen to the concerns of the non-PhD exercise physiologists.  Stop playing it safe from behind your big desk.  Learn to communicate the ASEP vision and move others to act.  Help them understand your feelings, enthusiasm, and beliefs.  If you are inspired, others will be inspired too.

Helping others also depends on our persistence.  As Hyman J. Schachtel (3), author of The Life You Want to Live, says:  “Of course it is easy to desire, to dream, to want, to aspire, but it is usually difficult to attain the life you want to live.  One of the reasons for the difficulty is that often we are not willing to work hard enough and to sacrifice enough for the fulfillment of our hopes.  At the first setback or rejection we are discouraged.  At the first demand for the maximum of our effort and time we give up.” 

“Giving up” is easy physically.  Mentally and emotionally, the act of giving up often results from a feeling of no hope.  However, just as athletes understand all too well, the game is over when we lose heart.  When the going is rough, we give up.  We want "whatever" it is we want at once without realizing that patience is everything. 

    Believing + Patience = Achievement 
Professionalism is achievable. But, it doesn’t happen if there is no belief in the possible, and the patience to see it through to the end.  The truth is that belief and patience also equals passion.  Hence, it is true that ASEP is a result of unselfish planning and sacrifice by its members, and of selfless dedication and patient devotion.  It is a passionate effort, not an event.  It is the willingness to take the time to understand ourselves and then be courageous enough to do all that is required of us to fulfill our dream.

Dreams of Professionalism

As an exercise physiologists, have you considered what is good and what isn’t good when it comes to communicating beliefs, feelings, and actions in our work?   Have you considered the difference between exercise physiology and, for example, physical therapy or nursing?  For many of us, we have considered these differences and there isn’t any reason they should exist.  I made a decision several years to minimize these differences. 

My purpose is simple:  All exercise physiologists deserve the respect of other professionals.  The way to achieve respect is through our God-given power to create lasting change.  In order to do so, we must take action even in face of obstacles.  There is always a way, regardless of the circumstances.  There is always a way or we will make one!  The truth is “finding a way” is only as good as the sustained effort.  What is a sustained effort for one person is likely to be totally different from what is sustainable for another person.  Part of reason stems from the feelings resulting from such questions as,  “What if I push too long?”  “What if I screw up?”  “What if I look dumb to others?”

But questions can be empowering if we use them to understand the reasons behind our beliefs.  Why is professionalism important?  Because without it we will continue as we are.  With it we will become what we were meant to be.  We must believe that sports medicine is not the way.  Something must change if we are to realize our true potential.  The change is in our thinking about ourselves.  We must want to change for the right reasons, and we must believe we can change.  We must first make our dreams, and then our dreams make us. 


References
1. Schuller, R. H. (1983). Tough times never last, but tough people do!  New York, NY: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
2. Bender, P. U. & Hellman, E. (1997). Leadership from within.  Toronto, Canada: Stoddart.
3.  Schachtel, H. J. (1956). The life you want to live.  New York, NY: E. P. Dutton & Company, Inc.
Copyright ©1997-2000 American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights Reserved.

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