CKO Members…Otherwise Known As Transformers
When you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you easily recognize yourself. Everything is exactly where you left it yesterday. No surprises. All to be expected.
And today is simply going to be just another day of living your life.
Same house. Same clothes. Same friends. Same job. Same body. Same attitude. Same you.
And that, you think to yourself, shrugging, is that. After all, you are who you are. Certain things are just set in stone.
In reality, that’s only true in regards to things that have already happened. Solely for things in the past. What is yet to come is a completely different matter. That’s in your hands.
You can change, if you so desire. Alter a bit. Transform.
It’s a big word…transformation. Intimidating, even. And when you’re intimidated by something, you tend to back away from it. And it makes sense.
Just think, if you were hiking and ran into a cougar baring its teeth (Hello Intimidation!), you’re not going to go up and pet it. Well, unless, on the off chance, you’re this amazing crazy cougar whisperer. But let’s assume that’s not the case. You will either keep your cool and back away slowly. Or like most people you’ll just dart full force in any direction the cougar is not.
You’re seeking your safe zone. That place where you’re comfortable existing. A space far away from that gruesome, life-threatening, maiming type of danger.
Walking toward intimidation, like welcoming change, goes against human nature. Change doesn’t come easy. It means diving deep into the unknown; an unfamiliar pool that, due to its lack of familiarity, bubbles up your insecurity, discomfort, and confusion. But what if swimming in that pool for a while would ultimately lead to a turning tide, where you’d find yourself surrounded by waters of comfort, clarity and a newfound confidence. That’s transformation. It can happen. It happens every day. It just requires a first step.
On April 13th, CKO Kickboxing will celebrate transformations with the aptly named second annual CKO Transformation Show at the Mohegan Sun Casino. CKO members that will appear on stage represent members throughout the CKO Community that have transformed in one way or another; physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
Every day, in every CKO gym, transformation is celebrated. When a first class is taken, or a hundredth class, when a goal is reached, and a first burpee completed. When someone went from saying, “I can’t” to “I dominated.” Transformations are personal and diverse. And at CKO they are plentiful. The ability to transform is just another, if not the top, advantage to being a CKO member.
Stepping into a CKO gym, leaving the rest of the world at the door, gives you the opportunity to focus on yourself, determine who you want to be and how you want to transform.
There is power in transformation. Immense power. It may be overshadowed by fear at first, but it’s there. And when you transform something, even if it seems minor, you’ve shifted your course. Recognizing that shift can cause a ripple effect and lead to other transformations.
And once it’s done, it’s done. You forever own it. Be it transforming your body, your outlook, your lifestyle. Whatever it is, you’ve changed, developed, grown, lived in a way you haven’t before. You now know that you can. You can do something new. Be someone new. After going through transformation you view the concept with a more open mind, even welcoming it.
These transformations will have you waking up tomorrow, looking in the mirror and saying, sure I recognize that person, but something’s different. And I like what I see.
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Article written by Kimberly Oley, CKO Contributing Author and CKO Member since 2015!
