To those interested in a deeper conversation…
This is:
Change is The Point.
What’s In The Name?
The Philosophy
The Coach
“Fitness is your ability to change; and change is a universal human experience.”
Change is the Point started in 2020 as a personal mantra; a way to justify some of the decisions I’d made in recent years while trying to figure out my reason for existing.
I moved from place to place and job to job and in the midst of these transitions – in the midst of these changes – I was charged with purpose, and with the prospect of who I could become on the other side of them.
These changes were not easy – as I learned – by design. Joseph Campbell documents the Myth of the Hero which is fundamentally the story of personal growth and metamorphosis. It gave me a framework and language for this process. The Hero, in this universal narrative, inevitably runs into adversity – precisely what s/he needs to actualise their own transformation. And thus this tension; this adversity; this conflict was necessary. More than that, it was the point.
This mantra bleeds into my profession of coaching and teaching which are essentially processes of guiding someone through their own change. Having been subject to many of these myself – as well as having my own Mentors, Coaches and Teachers to guide me along the way – I intimately understand what this entails.
More than just training; more than just learning; change is a conversation between the known and unknown, and the practice of integrating what one learns into who they become. It is talk and action; event and reflection; thinking and feeling; head and heart; yin and yang. Both are necessary for change. And Change is the Point.
A Deeper Conversation…
At a basic level, behavioural change starts with a shift in awareness. These shifts in awareness may occur as an accident of circumstance – whether one finds themselves cast into an unfamiliar environment which contrasts starkly their current one; or an offhanded comment triggers a violent reaction – or, as the result of a deeper conversation.
The purpose of a deeper conversation is to – metaphorically – plant a seed for one’s transformation. Without the presence of such, the changes that one manifests will more than likely be only short term and unsustainable. A deeper conversation is to make what was previously unknown, known so that one can act and behave consciously rather than to be ruled by impulses, programming or conditioning.
A deeper conversation is just as important as the training itself for we are also learning while doing so. This is the most reliable way to ensure that the change you do make is sustained and worthwhile. And because fundamentally, to learn is to change.
Once you know how to change yourself, you’ll no longer be dependant on a coach, teacher or otherwise to do this for you. You make seek their guidance – but not because you need too or believe there is no other way – but because you can, and you want too.
Serge Houhlias
Learner, Founder: Change is The Point, Coach, Writer, Teacher.
I’ve always asked a lot of questions, motivated by a desire to understand. And by a desire to change.
I noticed – as a shy teenager – the dissonance between who I was and who I wanted to (and could) be. To “fix myself”, I read countless self-help books, listened to hours worth of podcasts, conversed sporadically with total strangers, and eventually leveraged fitness as another medium to do so.
My training has evolved over the years. Along with why I do so. What started as a means to “prove myself”, is now mostly a way to practice and explore what actually works. Doing so has required I get out of my own way at times.
I’ve dabbled in CrossFit, gymnastics, “movement” or mobility training, bodybuilding and weightlifting. Sports like swimming, tennis and AFL have featured also.
I’ve taught in high schools and coached in gyms all over the country since 2020. I’ve worked in learn to swim with kids as young as 4, seniors 65+ in strength and conditioning gyms, and most everyone in between. I take this profession seriously, although in recent years, I’ve learned a relaxed and intentional approach is a more effective way to teach and guide.
It wasn’t until a few years ago – until I did a month long Apprenticeship in Salt Lake City, America – that I realised my search for answers; the endless questioning, and my desire to change had ultimately been about learning to value myself. Doing so has taught me much, and for the first time in a while, I feel I’m making some headway again.
I am sustained by deeper conversations; conversations about fitness and conversations about change. And conversations that are fundamentally human. By learning to change myself, I hope to demonstrate to others how they can do the same.
Express your interest in a deeper conversation…
To ask questions, express your interest in a deeper conversation or apply for coaching, contact me below…
CHANGE IS THE POINT 