I was Homeless

I was Homeless

How living in my car changed my life.?

I mentioned in an earlier newsletter that I attended East Stroudsburg U in PA in the fall of 2007. I lasted 3 days there. I originally was supposed to move in with 2 sisters, but apparently one of the sisters was involved in a serious car accident and they could not attend and had to break the lease they signed.

I got to ESU got the news the very next day I got there. So now on top of getting everything ready and set up to start graduate school I also had to start finding a new roommate and a place to live.

I found a couple of places but I couldn’t move in for at least 2-3 weeks. I couldn’t afford a hotel for that long, so I basically slept in my car for 3 weeks. But after the 1st week and my 3 days in school I decided I wasn’t going to stay here. So now what…….

Well I started looking for my next phase of my life. My goal with my original major of Sports & leisure studies with an emphasis in coaching and fitness was to become a strength coach. I wanted to be either a collegiate or professional strength coach and you needed a graduate degree for that…well that was blown. I couldn’t even do 3 days.

So I decided I was going to come back to Ohio and open my own gym, but before I left PA, I found out that The Rocky Statue was going to be rededicated and have a personal place next the Philadelphia Museum of arts forever——-AND SYLVESTER STALLONE was going to be there for the dedication. Well I couldn’t miss that and it was just a few days away. So I lived in my car for another few days.

And of course as I’m writing this I’m listening to the Rocky II soundtrack ;)

The night before I drove to Allentown, PA and slept in a rest area before heading down to Philly early the next morning and then fixing myself along the barricade for about the next 8 hours. A Philly inquire reporter actually did a news story of me, which I lied and told him I drove from Columbus for it….maybe just a partial lie b/c I did actual drive from Cbus just not all at once. You can check out the story here as well as the history of the statue (https://pophistorydig.com/topics/the-rocky-statue-1980-2009/).

I don't have the original pics from the event since my original facebook account was censored and Myspace doesn't work anymore ;)?

Notice the sunglasses ;( Shame Shame

Then I drove home and made the plans to open up my training business. It did take me some time as I had to get a regular job to ‘pay the bills’ but evenutally I officially opened up in October 2007….13 months after my ‘homeless gig’ in PA.

Sleeping in my car did cause my herniated disc and sciatica to get so bad that I had to stop training. Which was another reason it took me so long to open my business. I could not not be training myself and train/teach others. That’s just my mindset.

But when I did stop training, at the time I was 222 pounds. I lost 71 pounds in 6 months. 50 in the first 3 months. And it took me a total of 9 months to recover and heal my back—-all by myself, no interventions of drugs or anything….i couldn’t afford medical insurance back then.

This unfortunately and fortunately led me into the deepest and darkest days for me in terms of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts for me. Which was probably the biggest reason for the delay in starting my business.

I say fortunately because this experience is what started the process for me in becoming the eventual Improvement Warrior I am today and why I never stop learning and teaching and spreading the truth…..no matter how many people it pisses off.

I still remember my first day back training. It was at a playground and I couldn’t even do 5 pushups in a row.

Finding out what you do not want to do or are unwilling to do is just as important as finding out what you do want to do and are willing to put everything into it. When you are moving towards your purpose and your goal(s) this will change as you grow.

At the start of my business I believed a bunch of bro science that I preached and followed……so even though I overcame depression and anxiety, just a few short years later my lifestyle and beliefs still destroyed my hormones and health… when we are younger we can overcome bad advice…

I dispensed it and followed it. And it led me to Dr. jack Kruse for the second time. I first found him 2013 but wasn't ready for his teachings…because I had fitness plans, nutrition plans, and supplements to sell you.

I was a low dopamine creature with a big cognitive dissonance I needed to overcome.

Luckily I did. Most simply will not. I had to admit when Dr. kruse re-entered my world in 2018…I knew it wasn’t an accident because I simply didn’t feel good even though I followed the advice to be healthy—-eat clean and workout.

When the student is ready the teacher will appear.

The rest is history.

I still train people and coach them with nutrition and fitness but it is widely different. And sometimes I tell people NOT to workout because it can actually hurt you depending on where your health is.

A journey of 1000 steps starts with 1.

If you don’t take the first step nothing will change.

Opening your mind and questioning everything in your life is the start.

You can’t do that in a sucky environment. What person, place, thing, or combination is keeping you from your full self?

It took me 40.5 years to actually be healthy. Thinking I was almost killed me…TWICE.

If you need a kick start in the right direction reach out—comment below or DM me.

Stay strong, stay positive, be the improvement Warrior!

Have you joined the May Habit & Workout Challenge for $1. Join any time during May for 1 month: https://www.improvementwarriorfitness.com/$1lbn

Coach Jason Yun