Are you still as deeply passionate and in love with instructing as you used to be? If the answer is yes, good for you! If it is not, then good for you! You are about to be reminded of some things that perhaps you have forgotten.
It was the spring of 1985 and I will never forget the first time I saw someone teaching an “aerobics class”. Yes, that”™s what we used to call what is known today as a “Group Fitness” class. It was absolutely intriguing. So much energy, rhythm and sweat! The music was playing (yes, sweatin”™ with the 80”™s) and my body starting moving. I was a junior in high school, and even though I was an athlete I had never done (or seen) this type of workout. I asked the owner of the gym how I could “do that”? She told me I could join the gym and start taking classes. To which I replied, “No, I don”™t want to take the class, I want to teach the class.” She smiled, as she asked me if I had ever taken a class before. I told her no, but that I wanted to learn how to teach like the instructor that I was watching. She responded by telling me that the first place to start was by taking classes. I signed up and started training. Several weeks later I became certified and the rest is history. That was 32 years ago, and it seems like just yesterday that I put on my red unitard (yes, that”™s what we called them), and white leg warmers as I began a journey that has never lost its passion for me!
When you are truly passionate about something, not only will you keep coming back for me…year after year. But your followers will do the same.
What is passion? Although I use this word a lot, I decided to find out what my trusty pocket dictionary had to say about it. (Thank you “Dictionary App”) “Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling…” “The state of being acted upon or affected by something external, especially something alien to one”™s nature or one”™s customary behavior…”
That led me to the words, powerful and compelling. What do they really mean?
Powerful: “physically strong…producing great physical effects…having great effectiveness…having great power, authority or influence…”
Compelling: “having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention or respect…”
Wow…by nature, when you are genuinely passionate about what you are doing, you will have the capacity to do something alien to your previous nature or customary behavior.
Naturally, you will also become physically strong(er), produce great physical effects (in yourself and others), have great effectiveness, and great power (previously mentioned), authority and influence! Would you like a little (or a lot) of that?
Passion equates to power. Being passionate equals being powerful. This leads to you being compelling, which ultimately will draw others (your students) to you. This is magnetic and multiplicable (Is that a word? Well, if it”™s not…it is now. And it means that your magnetism will lead to exponential multiplicity. J) That means that you and those around you will experience expansion that comes from a rare and organic source deep within you. Thus, gaining you the “acute” (not “a-ugly J) admiration, attention or respect that you deserve (and let”™s face it, quite possibly “DESIRE”).
Don”™t you just love the power of words? I do too!
But these are far more than just words; they are a representation of the value (your core) that resides inside of you and every passionate leader. If it”™s just “lip service”, then it really isn”™t passion and therefore you will continue to seek something that seems distant and unattainable.
So let”™s talk about this for a moment. What if you had passion for being a fabulous instructor, but somehow you seem to have misplaced it? Perhaps it”™s hidden somewhere with your thong leotard and headband? OMG…has it been that long?
Thank God we don”™t have to go back to move forward, but sometimes we need to go within so we do not have to go without. What do I mean by this?
Sometimes when it seems as though we have lost something that we thought we once had, we long for what some may refer to as “the good ole”™ days”. It”™s something we may long for, but is not possible to attain. Come on, would you really want to go back to using tapes, choreography, thong leotards, and leg warmers? O.K., maybe the thong leotards…they really did make our butts look smaller, don”™t you think? JK! J Do you really want to go back to the stationary Air-Dyne bike that pumped your arms as you pedaled with your legs?
If you want to long for something and fully attain it, long for discovering your true passion. What compelled you to become an instructor in the first place? Do you remember it like it was yesterday? (I do!) Do you remember how excited (and nervous) you were to teach your first class? Do you remember the first time a student told you what a huge difference you had made in their life? Do you remember how great it felt to proudly tell your friends and family that YOU had become a fitness instructor (or perhaps an aerobics instructor…or cycling instructor)? You had a goal and you accomplished it. Why?
It”™s time to tap into the reason you started in the first place, and give thanks for a dream fulfilled and a goal accomplished. It”™s time for you to awaken the passion within you, and move ahead as you “make love” with what you are doing every time you do it. Let the sizzle inside you penetrate those around you. Then you, my friend, will be the instructor that your students cannot wait to see again!
Experts say that “sex sells”…well true LOVE not only sells, but it also pays…and it pays big! Pay yourself what you”™re worth by investing your heart and soul into every class that you instruct, and watch what happens to not only your class…but also your own personal CLASS!
When you do what you love and love what you do…you will love YOU, and so will everyone around you! This is exactly how to be the Instructor (Inspirer) that your students can”™t wait to see. It begins with being the instructor (Inspirer) that YOU can”™t wait to see!
Thanks for allowing me to share what I see…
Dr. Shannon
Dr. Shannon Subramaniam
chiropractor | coach | speaker | author
- Be The Instructor (Inspirer) Your Students Can’t Wait To See Again…A Lesson On Being Grateful - October 30, 2021
- Be The Instructor (Inspirer) Your Students Can’t Wait To See Again…A Lesson On Being Honest - March 4, 2021
- Be The Instructor (Inspirer) Your Students Can’t Wait To See Again…A Lesson On Being Passionate - November 22, 2017
Doc,
Does this mean I can’t use Tina Turner’s classics any longer? After all she was the one that asked, ‘What’s love got to do with it?” J
Seriously, I (and I’ll bet most instructors that work at big boxes) wish our management would get passionate about raising the bar in our cycle studios. Indoor cycling 2.0 was born out of the love and passion you so aptly describe in this post. The movement continues yet change is slow. 🙁 It often seems that our passion goes unnoticed at the check writing level. With such passion and more capable bikes, better ventilation, video and the systems to deliver high quality content imagine the possibilities.
I wonder Doc, if we all start feeling the love and all of our inspirational classes are full will the owners buy new and better equipment on which we can spread the word of Indoor cycling 2.0. Will we get paid more beyond the affirmation our students bestow upon us?
I don’t know the answers but I’m reasonably sure if one loses the passion, teaches to empty rooms and could care less about the tenants of Indoor Cycling 2.0, the cash will not flow into the cycle studio and one could be asked to not to return.
Great work…