WARNING: This video contains language which may be perceived as offensive to some of you. So, if you don’t like “4 letter words,” don’t watch this video.
Throughout the years I have worked with many clients and friends who were extremely self-conscious on their appearance and let it become a constraint towards working out at a fitness center. They had a feeling that everyone in the gym was staring at them and thinking they looked “fat” or unattractive. Surprisingly, I’ve seen this mentality even with women who looked absolutely gorgeous. And, if they did make it to the gym, they would select clothing that was ultra-conservative and baggy, even though they looked slim. Some have even said they would start going to the gym as soon as they lost 20 pounds. Have you met people like this?
I always say, follow the philosophy of Stuart Wilde with his quote, “what other people think of me is none of my business.” If you follow this way of thinking, you won’t have a problem going to the fitness center. You won’t care if people are “looking at you.” You wont’ care what others think of your clothing. Ultimately, you will have a better workout experience because you are satisfying yourself on your own terms, not others.
What does this way of thinking have to do with the band Fishbone? Let me explain.
Back in 1987 I saw Fishbone in concert at a small club called The King’s Head Inn at Old Dominion University in Virginia. I was familiar with their music, which was a mixture of funk, punk, rock and reggae, but not familiar with the individual musicians in the band. So, I didn’t really know what to expect when this band hit the stage.
When they started to play their first song, I couldn’t believe the amount of energy they created in the small club that held around 500 people. They rocked every single second of the performance and made the show almost like an “aerobic workout” because of the high intensity jumping and running around on the stage. The lead singer could have easily become a group fitness instructor if he didn’t find his way into music.
The second thing I noticed about this band was their attitude. Even though they looked slightly strange with their unusual clothing and hairstyles, they were proud of who they were and what their music stands for. They weren’t one bit shy or intimidated, even though everyone in the audience was mainly white and they were a group of black musicians. They weren’t ego minded or cocky, but empowered to be doing exactly what they wanted to be doing at that precise moment … playing their own original music. And they could care less if people didn’t like their music either.
