Take a look at these two examples of two different bodies and study them for a moment.

When I work with my clients, I help them to forecast their life in 1,5,10 to 20 years from now. One question I always ask is “What do you think your body will look like in a year if nothing changes?” It’s an experimental process where various traits such as posture, anatomy, facial expressions and walking are projected into the future. My clients also create goals as to how they want their body to look and behave. Another question I ask is “When did this certain body behavior start?” These questions bring the same conclusion: the body behavior started at a certain point and it is not going to get better without a conscious effort towards improvement.

A few years ago, I hurt my neck and the pain was agonizing. A few months later, I realized that I had lost my abs that I had worked so hard in the previous months to define. I later realized the my neck was working overtime doing the work of my abs. I had to make a conscious shift for my body to change shape. So with the help of a well qualified trainer, I started to decrease my neck pain and strengthen my abs. So this proves the point that nothing happens to us by accident. If I had not sought help to get to the root of my neck pain, I will still have those old abs, ice cream love handles and miserable neck pain.

Further, it explains why nothing will change without a conscious effort. If this man in the red continued to stand as he does, what will he look like in 10 years? Do you think back pain and/or diabetes might be a factor by then? My prediction, in 10 years, the RedMan’s stomach will only get bigger without some conscious intervention. The man in the tan, his butt will continue to disappear unless he understands how to make changes.

Take a look at the photos and make your projection. What do you think will happen to these two men in 10 to 20 years?

I saw this picture on Seth Godin’s blog and had to comment.

Microsoft Windows launched its highly expected “Vista” operating system. Microsoft and all affiliates should have been excited about the buzz Vista was to create in the industry. In fact their slogan was “the ‘Wow’ starts now”.

Based on the body language, it looks like Microsoft came up with a “The ‘Wow’ ends now”. Seated in this picture from left to right is head of Dell, Microsoft, Toshiba Advanced Micro Devices and HP. Not one of them looks even remotely excited by the new product they are introducing to the public and into their respective products. In fact, the only body language that Microsoft’s Vista activated is just “soft” and not in a Micro amount. None of these executives sustain up-right posture or a smile throughout the launch presentation. Scowls are usually not reserved for parties and these guys seem to have excess of it.

Instead of creating a “wow”, this photo evoked images of uptight, uncomfortable, unease and constipation. It looks more like the line for a colonic waiting room rather than a team of innovators launching a new product. They fail to be as open and presentable as the power-point presentation. Enthusiasm is generated through body language, facial expression, presence of heart and connection to core. Where is it with those involved with Microsoft’s Vista?

This photo leaves me with three questions:
1. Who is the leader in this photo? Based on body language, there isn’t one. Heaven forbid there was a moderator that was standing; because it was accidentally him or her.
2. Are these guys working together on the same team and was this even important? Half of them did not think so. Three of the executives are wearing ties and three are not. The only uniform is their odd body language.
3. Speaking of body language, who taught these guys to sit and cover their masculinity like this? The impact of their body language on Vista is obvious. But do you think they realize the impact it has on their health and eventually the health of Microsoft?

This photo looks more like bad news being broken to the public than a party getting started. In the final analysis, Microsoft’s “Pop” was the sound we heard before their supporters deflated into an intestinally compressive posture.

There is a saying, intent is 2/3 the law. I have never been totally sure what that has meant, but it is a great segue into what I want to talk about. In communication, body language is 55% of communication. This is to say body language is a large component of communication, personal message and leadership.

Body language is how we communicate to people and the environment. It is our message about ourselves and the rule of conduct with us. It is also the means of emoting personal messages and the statements about ourselves. For example, “I am serious,” “I am the leader,” “I am happy” or “I am healthy.” Likewise, it also works the opposite way.

Bill Gates is an icon of wealth, innovation, and more recently, education in developing countries. He led Microsoft to become a power house in the computer industry and has a net worth of $53 billion. By looking at this picture of him, I have to ask the question, what happened?

Google “Bill Gates” and you will find hundreds of photos of Bill in various points of his life and career. Most of the time he looks youthful and rebellious, but in this photo he is just sporting a serious case of anterior head carriage. He looks more like Touché Turtle than a Barron of Industry.

Anterior carriage is a sign of sympathetic overload and exhaustion. This once youthful innovator is looking tired. What do you think he will look like in a year from now if nothing changes? How often do you find yourself in the same tired posture/body language and what do you think it will look like in a year to five years from now.

If you want to make a different impression with your body language, make sure your heart leads you through life and not your head. Having the heart raised and the head squarely over the body is the strongest sign of leadership. But there seems to be an exception. If you own billions, you can have all the anterior head carriage you want. Until then, keep your heart up, head over you body and eyes on the horizon. If you happen to be a billionaire, “Touché and away!”

The shoulder that has pain is not necessarily the culprit. It is usually the opposite shoulder. Say your right shoulder hurts. You feel the pain because your right shoulder is doing everything correctly plus the work of the side that doesn’t hurt (left). Essentially, you’re feeding the same twin twice.

Hip mechanics influence neck and spinal motion. So in order to open up the neck and back (i.e. relieve pain), you need to start by getting motion and flexibility back into the hips. It just seems so unrelated to work on these areas, but the whole mechanics of the human body are based on the hips and the spine.

If you’re going to hold yourself to perfection, make sure you know what it looks like. In other words, if you wish to set standards in your life, make sure you define them.

For example, a client of mine was beating herself up because she felt she was not eating according to a “perfect diet”. When I asked her what a good diet was, she did not know how to answer me. She knew what a bad diet was, but never defined what a “good” diet was.