{"id":6598,"date":"2014-01-13T14:49:46","date_gmt":"2014-01-13T21:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ann-tran.com\/?p=6598"},"modified":"2014-03-02T09:12:19","modified_gmt":"2014-03-02T16:12:19","slug":"building-inner-and-outer-strength-brett-hoebel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ann-tran.com\/2014\/01\/building-inner-and-outer-strength-brett-hoebel\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Pain into Passion: Brett Hoebel"},"content":{"rendered":"

While searching for an inspirational person to feature in this month’s Verizon<\/strong><\/a> fitness theme, I came across Brett Hoebel<\/strong><\/a> on Twitter. \u00a0Brett’s posts really struck a chord with me, especially his article\u00a0The True Power of Inner Strength<\/strong><\/a>.<\/i>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Brett’s ideas about “Fitness From Within” resonated with me because, at times, I have personally struggled with my<\/em> own journey. \u00a0I, too, was bullied as a child<\/strong><\/a>\u2014and even as a young adult in the corporate world\u2014for being “too skinny.”<\/p>\n

As I read Brett’s article about inner strength, it brought back the memory of a time that my supervisor was criticizing my body, and an older gentleman observing the exchange came to my rescue. \u00a0This man rebuked my boss, then pulled me aside and suggested that I\u00a0ignore such criticism.\u00a0What we look like on the outside doesn’t necessarily represent who we are on the inside.<\/p>\n

Inspired by Brett’s posts and buoyed by the memory of one person’s kindness, I reached out to Brett, who was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me about his passion.<\/p>\n

I find his dedication truly inspiring. \u00a0He really walks the walk (or “runs the run,” given his fitness level).<\/p>\n

How has social media enhanced your fitness message?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Social media has enhanced my fitness message by allowing me to reach more people, people that I do not know, people in other countries, and at a much faster rate than ever before. I think the beauty of social media is that your message can become “social” and be spread amongst people, their friends, and their followers in a very organic way. People are searching for inspiration and information… and are motivated to share it with the world. \u00a0I feel very honored when I see people appreciating my message and sharing it. \u00a0I know I am making a difference and that is one of the main reasons I do what I do.<\/p>\n

Because social media is so “public”, I believe you have to be willing to open open up and share your thoughts and experiences with authenticity and truth. \u00a0I have become more accountable to my actions and I walk my talk even more because social media makes my message i.e., what I say and what I do, more visible, transparent and permanent.<\/p>\n

What is your preferred platform?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s actually a tough question… it’s a toss up between Twitter and Instagram<\/strong><\/a>. I like Twitter because it only allows you 140 characters, so you have to be succinct with no BS. \u00a0It’s like traveling to a country where you don’t know the language well… you have to pick your words carefully and they need to be straight and to the point… you can’t get caught up in embellished semantics. With Twitter, one tweet or trending hashtag, can get your message in front of thousands of people… people you don’t know, but share common interests with and that are listening in on the same conversation. \u00a0I also feel more comfortable sharing my day-to-day happenings on Twitter and like that it’s easy to share photos, videos, and links to other social platforms and my website.<\/p>\n

I like Instagram because the photo captures my message and not necessarily the text. \u00a0I enjoy taking photos and feel they can capture the essence of the moment and what I am trying to convey more than words alone. \u00a0Now that Instagram allows short videos, I’m excited to start sharing more video clips because I feel people can get to know me and my message even better… it’s coming atcha live from Brett!<\/p>\n

When you first started social media, did you find this platform helpful?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I first started social media I only used Facebook. I didn’t post a lot and was only communicating with friends I knew. \u00a0Years later, I really dived into social media, and found Twitter easier to use and consequently more fun to use. Twitter also allowed me to connect with people I did not know, but these strangers shared common interests and we became cyber-friends. \u00a0It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone and they can learn about you, without even meeting face to face.<\/p>\n

You personally dealt with taunting and teasing overweight issues.\u00a0 What would your advice be to those being bullying on line?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

My advice to anyone being bullied online is this… you are not alone, bullying happens to everyone and will continue to happen to you in one shape or form for the rest of your life. \u00a0I’ve been bullied and so have your parents, friends, co-workers… everyone. \u00a0Being bullied is not the issue… how you deal with it is the issue. \u00a0If you can build something inside of you… it doesn’t have a color or a shape… it’s called inner-strength… you will be able to deal with any confrontation better. \u00a0You get inner-strength by doing the things you are good at and that let yourself shine. \u00a0For me it was fitness, but it can be anything… turn your pain into passion.<\/p>\n

And if you are bullied, say something! \u00a0Being silent, doesn’t make it go away and by speaking up, you can help end the cycle. \u00a0Save the defaming photos or messages so you have proof of what is happening and so others that want to help you have something tangible to reference. \u00a0Be smart, we live in a day and age of the internet and smart phones… don’t put yourself in situations with strangers or friends that can risk you being cyber bullied.<\/p>\n

What goes around, comes around. \u00a0If you see defaming and damaging photos, videos or emails circulating… don’t continue to circulate them. \u00a0Energy is contagious and by you taking a stand by not participating in cyber-bullying, you can send a message to others to follow in your footsteps which helps stop the problem.<\/p>\n

You are such a great writer on Twitter.\u00a0 How do you get your message across so succinct?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Practice makes progress \ud83d\ude09 I think it’s because I tend to write in bullet points a lot. \u00a0I do this to help write poems, speeches, videos, message points for interviews and even hashtags. I string the bullet points together into a short sentence that sums up what I really want to say. \u00a0Here’s an example of this when writing about my childhood.<\/p>\n