Do What You Have To Do To Make You A Better Person

I recently wrote this to my coach Pete Alfino.

“You are doing a great job…you and I are in similar businesses in that the central goal is to help a person change their life…you and I work with motivated people who have a tremendous potential for doing ‘good’ in this world…if you and I can keep them on the right track getting their bodies healthy then they will do a lot more of the ‘good’ that needs to be done in the world…they will be better friends, parent's spouses, etcs…in the end it is only a swim or bike or run, but in the big picture it is about finishing what you started, it is about doing your best, it is about pushing yourself to do more than you thought possible…it is ultimately about being the best type of person you can be…the best athlete, the best friend, the best spouse, the best father…

Congratulations…job well done…if I was there I’d hug you…I’d kiss you to, but you probably wouldn’t let me…we have known each other almost 40 years…hard to believe…hopefully another 40 also…RH

You see swimming, cycling, running or for that matter triathlon is not for everyone. For those who don’t exercise, they might look at triathletes or everyday exercisers as fanatics with too much time. But if one was to see the ‘before’ and ‘after’ snapshots of these athletes lives before and after a few years of being committed to their ‘sport’ they would see totally different people. They would see that the exercise or sport had transformed the persons thinking, relationships and life.

We should all be doing what it takes to make us better people. Yes more loving, giving people. Should exercise take the place of family and work responsibilities. Of course not. But if all a person does is work and then have family responsibilities and there ‘love tank’ or ‘life tank’ is running on empty. In the end you are just going to be left with unhappiness, bitterness and anger.

For those who exercise regularly they find that the exercising and the relationships that are forged and sense of accomplishment obtained, that their ‘love tanks’ and ‘life tanks’ continually get filled. What could be better than doing a great workout with your ‘buds’ and congratulating each other on a great work out. One then starts the day full of positive feedback that carries them throughout the day.

Instead of fretting on getting old one realizes that I am getting stronger. I am in better shape then I was ten years ago. A renewed confidence is obtained. A targeted energy then gets unleashed not just in the sport but in work, life, and relationships. Let’s be honest, kids make friends, most adults do not. How come the kids make the relationships? They do it because they play sports and activities with their friends? Why can’t adults do it? Well I say they can.

While exercise is one mode to make a person the best they can be, any type of passion can do it. I believe having a strong faith in God is another key. Believing that one’s actions have a higher purpose can be empowering. For me this involves always be cognoscente that I am a Christian. I learn about God by talking to him and listening to him. Yes that is prayer. Reading and meditating on God’s word (the Bible). I try to meet regularly with my buddy Tim for Bible Study and then our families with another family get together for couples bible study.

Another way to in an indirect way to make your life better is to make it better for those you live with. So for me that is my wife Marion. Investing in her is one of the best investments I could make. I fail many times in this, but after 20 years of marriage (20 year anniversary in December) she still likes being with me, so I must be doing something right.

Well I have another client to see so have to go. I hope you will continue to do those activities that make you the kind of person you desire to be.

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Over The HIill? or Running Over The Hill?

When I turned 40 (back in 2002) someone gave an over the hill sweat shirt that I still have. I think I have worn it once. Since turning 40 I have learned to swim, learned to bike, ran marathons, ultramarathons and finished ironman triathlons. So my question to you is 40 over the hill or is 40 the time to run over the hill! I can tell since turning 40 I have run over a lot of hills.

Under 40 I ran over very few hills. I was on the golf team in high school but did not do any endurance sports. I was not an avid exerciser growing up. I ate a lot of junk food, so had a lot of acne. It wasn’t until I had a training partner when I was 39 that I was a real exerciser. By real exerciser I just mean I was committed to regular exercise. I stated out probably 3 days a week. I now exercise typically six days a week. I need one day a week to watch movies! The Bible says also that we are to have a day of rest. It is good advice.

We can get depressed as we age because we are closer to the grave or we can get stronger, faster, and accomplish more as we age. Who knows more? Someone who is 22 or someone who is 42? Who would you rather have working for you? Someone right out of college or someone who is 42 with a lot of experience and maturity. At 22 we are going to concur the world and just end up wasting a lot of time on frivolous pursuits. When you are 42 you realize that relationships and making a difference are what matters. You don’t waste as much time.

If you are over 40 and feel like you are wasting a lot of time because you are ‘over the hill’. I am here to tell you that you are not. Commit today to making a difference in your own life. Your own health. At some point when you feel awesome you will have the strength to help others. Once you do that your life will not be the same. It is as if you are doing the work of God, because you are. You can give when your cup overfloweth…with health, peace, joy, satisfaction, wisdom…and when it overfloweth into someone else's life you are helping make the world a better place…The next you see a hill I hope you will run over it!!!