Partnership, friends, and social support is just as powerful as a warm home when we venture forward into any challenge that transforms us. This is true in the challenges of survival situations, as well as when you’re challenged in your fitness training at Innovative Results fitness gym – The Orange County Fitness Playground.
I will prove the importance of partnerships by telling you the story of how I survived 24 hours in a snow-dwelling, with the most important thing I possessed–my moto-buddy (short for motivational buddy).
The Marine Corps orders every Marine to have a “battle buddy,” which is a safety precaution for survival, getting lost, and making better choices.
My battle buddy, soon became my moto-buddy, when our adventure in Bridgeport’s Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC), turned into a death-dealing survival challenge in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, during the depth of winter.
Imagine spending all day hiking up and down steep mountains in a driving blizzard conditions, getting a quick bite to eat, and then not being able to warm yourself by a heater or fireplace in a cozy home.
This is what my friend Josh and I were dealing with, during Scout Skiers course in the famous (or infamous) MWTC, depending on which Marine you ask.
Difficult training became seemingly impossible, when the instructors told us we must stay in a snow-dwelling that we build for 24 hours, which includes the time you are building your new home. This was a pass/fail event, and I am against quitting, so I decided I would not succumb to the seductive hike out to the instructors warm, stove-filled tent (I just hope hypothermia didn’t make my promise of passing a failure).
I remember my moto-buddy, Josh, telling me to keep moving, and stay in it, while we were shaping our shoddy, camo-tarp covered snow hole.
When we were finished, I was wiped, and extremely unimpressed with what was supposed to keep us warm through the night, and it only got colder when the sun went down.
The first few hours we chatted until our teeth chattered, and then as we periodically fell asleep and awoke, the cold seeped deeply into our brains, our limbs were already numb with cold.
I looked up, and my moto-buddy Josh was miserable. He looked like death-warmed-over, and I knew it was my turn to light a fire in his heart and mind.
I told him, it could be worse…we could be outside in this freezing snow-filled place, at least our dwelling provided a few degrees of warmth, and kept the wind and snow off of our necks.
He talked seriously of quitting or dying, and I affirmed to him that we were a long way from both.
If it wasn’t for us becoming more than just battle buddies, but becoming moto-buddies, we would not have past that extremely challenging adventure, and today we are both transformed because of it.
We have deeper-reaching staying power, enduring mental toughness, and penchant for warm, comfortable houses.
It is the same with any challenge we face–we MUST HAVE A PARTNER!
Partnerships, Friendships, Moto-buddies, and our Social Structure can do more than encourage us while times are good.
When challenges become challenging, our moto-buddies in life pull us out of despair and keep us moving in the right direction, the direction we would choose if we only it wasn’t so challenging or difficult in the present moment.
The importance of partnerships is revealed during the challenges of life.
To this day, my friend Josh and I still call each other, moto-buddies!
It is no different this New Year as you pledge to become a better version of yourself, whether physically, financially, or morally.
The fitness coaches at Innovative Results, The Orange County Fitness Playground, use this same mindset, motivation, and support to help you conquer your fitness goals.
We know it is best if you have a friend to be your partner or moto-buddy, and whether this partner is at our fitness gym or not, our coaches will always step-up to that call, with an encouraging word, motivational story, or inspirational example.
We want you to feel the victory of every workout and fitness training session, so we work hard to bring our very best to you each day!
Innovative Results gym is excited for you to grab a partner and head over to The Orange County Fitness Playground to make your next one, your best one
Come Join us in your next transformation!
If you are looking to change, improve, and transform, grab a partner and fill out the form at the bottom.
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For more details on the Transformation Challenges, check out: IR3 Transformation Challenge – Build Habits to Win This Year
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