Every time I meet someone new and they learn my profession, a Big Sur excuse wave begins and I’ve just crashed into another Excuse Surfer. An Excuse Surfer seizes increasing momentum while positioned on a steady, well-waxed, self-defense justification board over the swell of reasons why they don’t exercise or are out of shape. Here’s the rub, I didn’t ask, and I don’t care. Yes, you read it correctly. Fact is, neither do you. But I will bet you know an Excuse Surfer personally (or are one yourself).
What the Excuse Surfer has done is classic mullering. While seeking some sort of validation hug, they’ve massively wiped out (mullering). I don’t care why you don’t exercise; I don’t care why you are out of shape. You do – about the excuses anyway. It’s your attempt to let yourself off the hook; 9 times out of 10 the Excuse Surfer’s finger is pointed in every other direction except inward. Think about it: the kids, the spouse, the house, the career, the economy, the hormones, the traffic, and on and on…..this defensive undertow is quite powerful. The Excuse Surfer has succumb – willingly.
As a fitness expert and healthy life-style coach, I’m your red herring. I care about you, NOT your excuses. I care about what you’re doing to create and maintain a healthy, fit and strong well-being NOT how your avoiding it (though that’s typically the first thing I see). You matter. You have the ability. You have the power. You can do it. Pros like me lead you on a navigational path, guiding you to release you of your Excuse Surfer self and demystify what a healthy well-being is – - for you, right now, today. The one you’re looking at in the mirror is what I care about and where your success is. 
Cowabunga! Time to take the plunge, stop the excuses and be in action. Come on in the water’s fine and free of men in grey suits (sharks).
Be Fit – Be Well
Live Fit – Live Well
Shannon M. O’Regan
SMO Ventures
Connecting Body, Mind & World
847.525.0979
www.smoventures.com
www.smoventures.blogspot.com
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Shannon- Great post! I am the Queen of the Excuse Surfers!
Shannon – As usual you nailed it. I see myself in the description of the Excuse Surfer and really appreciate your help in seeing more clearly what I am doing (and not doing).
The ability to help clients see for themselves how they are trying to dodge the responsibility is critical to helping them figure out how to overcome the obstacles right in front of them. And, sadly, we often set those very obstacles up for ourselves. I may not be a surfer, but the metaphor works.