If you’ve taken even one ride with instructor Cody Rigsby, you know one of his many signature mantras is to “grab a water, grab a towel and get your life together.” You don’t even realize you’ve hit a PR during one of his frequent “Ted Talks” on why Kevin’s the hottest Backstreet Boy or JC the most talented member of NSYNC. And nervous energy turns into determination whenever Britney pops onto the playlist. Cody’s a master at pushing you physically, emotionally and spiritually because while you’re fixing your wig, he’s filling you up with tough love, “aha” advice and motivation to get your body and your mind past those self-imposed limitations.
As a motivator, life coach, big brother, best friend and personal trainer all in one, the stage was set for his XOXO, Cody series of rides to come to life. As much of a mental workout as they are physical, Cody answers Members’ most personal questions with unfiltered advice throughout those rides. He shares the benefits of loving and being kind to yourself and implores you to never sacrifice self-care. He breaks down work conflict, relationship drama and breaking free from loneliness.
Here’s some of our Boo’s best advice from those XOXO rides so you can get a quick burst of inspiration, even when you’re away from the Bike.
Go the Extra Mile
“You know how Justin made Britney feel special? He committed to the denim-on-denim ensemble, OK? He was like, ‘I'm a ride or die bitch. I'm going to wear this.’ Does it look crazy? Absolutely. But if you're not committed to the relationship enough to wear denim-on-denim on a red carpet, I don't want the love.”
Know When to Say “Bye Bye Bye”
“What do you do with an ex? Keep him as a friend or make it a clean break? Let's just quote Lady Gaga, ‘I don't want to be friends,’ OK? You've just got to take time away, and then maybe you can try. Like, a good year or two. Let them do their thing. You do your thing. Then we can maybe see if it works.”
Cutting Ties
“Your energy, your space is precious. Your time is precious, your love is precious. And if someone is taking that for granted, you have to create boundaries then. If they’re not willing to meet you halfway, they’ve got to go, too, baby, because life is short.”
Needs vs. Wants
“Be a needy bitch. And what I mean by that is, loving yourself, by defining what you need versus what you want. And there is a stark difference, my friends. You might want a hot guy with tattoos that leaves you on ‘read’ for 12 hours and then gives you a one-word answer. But what you need is a good guy with a good job, who talks to his mom once a week. OK? A difference between what you need and what you want.”
Be There for Your Friends
“When's the last time that you hyped up your boo, your best friend? When you're on Instagram, being like, ‘Yes, bitch, you're slaying this picture.’ … We've got to gas up our friends. We've got to share the love. Why? Because then we're going to feel it ourselves. We're going to let it in. We're going to feel all the love when we put it out, breaking down those barriers to self-love.”
Lose the Blocks
“Jennifer asks, ‘I cannot take a compliment to save my life. I automatically shut them down and explain why whatever compliment they offered isn't warranted. Any advice on getting past this?’ I think all of us struggle with this, and this is thematic. It is a blockade from you loving yourself. And the simple answer is just saying, ‘Thank you.’ Just say ‘thank you’ and keep moving. It doesn't put your guard up. You don't try to protect yourself. You just say ‘thank you,’ and you let the love in.”
Be Your Own Hype Person
“I want you right now to think about something that you love about yourself. Maybe it's your smile. Maybe it's how compassionate you are. Maybe it's how funny you are. Maybe it's how loving you are. Whatever it is, I want you to think about the one thing that you love about yourself. Remind yourself of that every time that it gets hard, every time I ask you to add more resistance. It's about self-love. Love yourself starting here. Be engaged with that one thing that you love about yourself, and start just spreading all the love, using the high five on that Leaderboard.”
Ride the Positivity Train
“I'm not always positive. I go through it. I've got rocky patches. I have sadness. We all do, but I allow myself to feel it. I allow myself to go through it, process it. I'm not scared to be sad or afraid. I confront it. I process it. I get over it so that I can be in this space for y'all and myself with joy, with happiness, with pride. And I hope that you take the same time for yourself so you can be the best for your loved ones.”
Find Your Purpose
“I try to not get on my phone for the first hour and a half of the day, because I feel like it sucks us in. It's all about me time in the morning: meditating, yoga, having my coffee, taking a shower, doing me. And it has really helped me connect to my purpose, because having purpose is what keeps us happy and joyful. So, if you're struggling with it, I highly recommend creating a morning and night routine that keeps you connected to your purpose.”
Social Media Detox
“There's so many free ways to take care of yourself. First and foremost, you can scream into a pillow. I know that shit sounds crazy, but sometimes, you just need to scream into a pillow … Go for a walk. Volunteer. Drink eight glasses of water. You know I start my day with two glasses all the time. Meditate. Put your phone down.”
You Are the Present, Baby
“Your presence is a present, you are a present to this world. You are a present to your loved ones. You are not something that is to be re-gifted, you are something that is to be cherished for years and years and years to come. You ain't no Applebee's gift card, OK? You are not no BOGO Payless gift card, no ... You are the present, baby. So, act like it. You got all the good wrapping paper. You got that big-ass bow. And when people open up, they're like, damn, I love me some of them. Yes. You feel that? Feel your presence.”
There’s more where this came from. Join Cody Rigsby in an XOXO, Cody class to experience it for yourself!
