Whose Class is it Anyway?
Posted: September 14, 2019
Scenario: you or your child misses a weekly fitness class.
What would you say to the instructor at the next lesson?
”I’m sorry I missed your class last week, it was because...”
Is this along the lines of how your sentence would likely begin?
Naturally, as an instructor, I see people miss classes from time to time. This is both understandable and expected – sometimes life gets in the way. What’s not as understandable, is the language and it’s meaning that is often used in explanations: ”I’m sorry I missed your class last week...”
STOP THE THOUGHT THERE.
Why are you apologizing this way? It’s not my class you attend or miss, it’s yours.
This seemingly insignificant statement carries with it an enormous amount of power. It immediately removes you as a student from taking full committment and responsibility for your own class, and in many ways, your own life.
I as an instructor have already dedicated myself to my own health practices, and additionally, to helping others attain a similar state of vitality. The former part of this statement refers to what I do on my own time to stay healthy: these are my classes. The latter part is my service to you, but refers to your choice to improve your life: these are your classes.
When you decide to commit to a class or practice of any kind, in this case, to improve your overall wellbeing, the decision is yours. The committment and responsibility are yours. And most importantly, the benefits and rewards derived from consistent practice are yours.
Your choice to take part in a fitness class is important. You’re improving your physical health and your mental function, and learning valuable tools. Do not diminish the significance of this by handing the torch of ownership over to your instructor. Take in both hands and run with it. Own your class.
You may or may not be familiar with the saying that ”the microcosm represents the macrocosm”. How you perform any seemingly small act is often an indication of how you run your life.
When I hear statements that deflect ownership of one’s journey back to the instructor, I cringe. When else do you surrender your life to someone else?
It is your own responsibility to decide to grow and take proper care of yourself, it is you who must be willing to put in the effort, it is you that misses out when you don’t maintain your committment, and when you have accepted this responsibility, is is you that receives the plethora of benefits.
This is the reason I am honing in on such a minute detail. It’s impact is massive.
Own your class.
Instructor John Kolakovic
Synergy Martial Arts
Instructor/Owner
www.synergymartialarts.ca