Become A Success Story

It seems to me that only the truly bizarre, out of the ordinary, and over the top stories ever get any notice. Maybe that in itself says something about us. However, I would like to take a minute to give a plug to the other 99.9% of the population out there. The millions of us, who work hard every day, try to be good citizens, take care of ourselves and our loved ones, and strive to live our lives the best we can. We get no “success” recognition.

Through print media and television we become aware of wonderful stories of people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight and that have overcome serious life threatening health problems all because they made the decision to start an exercise program, eat healthier and take charge of their lives. These are heart warming, feel good tales indeed and obviously fantastic for those people. But what if you’re not up against any serious adversity; because you’re just...well, average. Are these individuals inspirational to you? They make the head lines because media think it will elicit an emotional response from us, and although we may be sympathetic, I don’t think we can really be cognizant of how they got there in the first place. There needs to be more buzz, more motivation so the rest of us will want to make that climb from average—to above average.

By definition (Webster’s to be exact) to succeed is defined as; to turn out well. With such a broad meaning, is it a stretch to say that pretty much anyone can be a success story? Surely any of us can do something that will “turn out well”.

I know in my heart, and apparently Webster’s agrees, that I am a fitness success story. No, I didn’t have a huge weight loss, I’ve always been lean, nor have I ever been faced with a serious health concern. However, when I was in my teens I was, for lack of a better term, a “wild child” and getting my self into trouble was a regular occurrence. Chalk it up to any number of stereotypes; hanging with the wrong crowd, growing up in a broken family, being from the wrong side of town, or maybe more realistically just plain stupidity on my part. However, the saving grace for me was the fact that I loved to play sports. Not only did I love to play them, but I also really enjoyed the practices and the training that accompanied them. I found it very empowering; it gave me such a sense of accomplishment that I couldn’t get enough. As time went on I spent more time with my sports and fitness friends and less with the “thug” pals, then eventually got certified as a personal trainer, moved to a new area, got a job in a health club—and never really looked back. Of course it didn’t happen ove
ight, but I can say with total certainty that if it wasn’t for sports and exercise, my life would have unfolded much differently.

I am not trying to portray myself as someone who has conquered huge calamity to become some larger than life persona. My point is simply that fitness has helped me achieve good things in my life; physically, mentally, and professionally. My choices have undoubtedly helped to steer me in a direction that did “turn out well” given the alte
ative. If I, an average person, can achieve success through something as simple as working out—then this begs the million dollar question… Isn’t it possible that anyone can achieve success through working out? I believe the answer to be an absolute yes! It doesn’t take much; only the will to do it and the conviction to follow through.

Maybe you have 10lbs to loose, have low energy levels or are not eating as well as you know you should be. It could be that you’re bringing the stress of work home, haven’t exercised in a while, or not as intense as you would like. Maybe you’re dealing with any other of the many afflictions that us average stiffs deal with on a day to day basis. All of which can easily be changed. Think about some of these things today: When you are eating, could you be eating healthier? Did you skip a meal? Did you get a chance to workout? Was your workout as intense as it could have been? Are you planning to workout later, if not then why? Then ask yourself these questions again tomorrow and every day there after. If the same reasons keep showing up as excuses for not getting the answer you should, then you definitely need to address it. This is why I helped launch Fabs CyberFitness, to be there to help the average everyday person—we have eliminated all the excuses! Be accountable to yourself.

The time to act is now! Become more than average so things will “turn out well” for you—it is the time to emerge as a health and fitness success story of your own. n