Today is a special day. A day to take time to remember those who are serving and who have served in our armed forces. To remember those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Five years ago at this time, I was in Iraq. It was an experience I will never forget. Many people don’t understand what would make someone join the military, and volunteer to put themselves in harms way.
We are constantly bombarded with negatives. The economy, the job market, the stock market, the war on terror, etc. Too often, we forget to focus on the privileges, blessings, and opportunities we have.
Here are just a few thoughts I had this weekend about things that I feel were, and still are worth fighting for.
I had the freedom to sit in the church of my choosing this weekend and worship in the manner I choose. Whether you chose to worship in a way that was different from me or chose not to worship at all, in our country you have the freedom to make that choice.
I got to spend some time this weekend with my father (a Marine Corps veteran) and one of my uncles (a Navy veteran). It reminded me of the tradition we have in our country. Millions of others have gone before me and been willing to serve our country. Millions more will follow. We are surrounded by people who are proud of the country in which we live and are willing to defend it. I am thankful for that.
I spent some time today at my business. In our country we have the right to pursue our goals and dreams. We are not guaranteed success, but we have the opportunity to go for it. I have been blessed with the opportunity to make a career out of doing something I love. Not everyone in the world has that opportunity.
I have had the chance to spend some time with my family. They were and will always be worth fighting for. I hope and pray that when my children grow up, they will have the same freedoms and opportunities I have and more.
As I enjoyed these moments this weekend, I was reminded again that these freedoms came at a price.
Thank you to all my fellow veterans and to those who are currently serving in our armed forces.
Thank you to the families of those who serve. You are often forgotten and under-appreciated, but your role is essential to the success of our military men and women, and the sacrifice you make is real.
To those who paid the ultimate price in your service to our country, a “thank you” will never be enough. You will not be forgotten.
Semper Fidelis,
Tony

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I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of hearing every day about how bad our economy is. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to complain. I think if you’re listening to the news on a daily basis (which maybe you shouldn’t be), you hear enough complaining and negativity.

What I do think is that all of this is actually a great metaphor for your commitment to your health, fitness, and weight loss goals.

How could that possibly be?

Well, let me explain…

I hear complaints almost every day from both clients and society at large about how hard it is for them to eat right, exercise more, and stick to an exercise and nutrition plan that will get them results. It never seems to happen fast enough for people. And do you know why? Because they’re focused on the wrong things.

I’m sure you can relate to this to some degree. After all, most of us in some way or another usually feel like we could do a little better when it comes to our pursuit of peak health. For example, right now I know I personally would benefit from a little more sleep, a little more water, and not finishing the food on my kids plates (3 kids, 3 plates). Yes, those are small changes, but I’m not perfect either.

The point is, that we should always be working on self-improvement. It makes us better as individuals, and then in turn contributes to society’s well-being too. The bigger point though is this…

Change takes time, especially when it comes to turning the economy and your health around. Even though we hear every day that the current economic problems in the world are not going to subside quickly, there is still a strong tendency for all of us to place too much emphasis on small changes that are either good or bad.

The same holds true for your pursuit of your health and fitness goals. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have with people week to week that are focused around their obsession with that little number on the scale, or body fat machine, or tape measure. Yes, this is a good thing to an extent. Because just as in running my business, when it comes to your health, you need to watch the numbers. But there is one very important thing you must remember at all times…

You are NOT your numbers!

The only way to achieve true and lasting change, and ultimately your goals, health and fitness or otherwise, is through a constant and steady improvement in all aspects of your life, your personality, your habits, and your exercise and nutrition program.

So, let’s turn the current economic state into a positive right now shall we? Every time, you hear bad things about the economy, simply take a moment and connect with the fact that we all know that it’s going to take some time to turn around. Use that knowledge and awareness to your advantage in the following two ways:

First, don’t react to every bit of bad news that comes your way. And if you need to, turn off the news in your life from time to time. Spend some alone time with your thoughts.

Secondly, use those moments to remind yourself that your pursuit of peak health, and your fitness and weight loss goals will happen faster when you are less attached to the day to day results, and more focused on your vision and pursuit of long term and positive change.
Keep your focus on your goals and don’t forget “why” you want to achieve those goals. If you think about why it is important to you to achieve those goals then it will be easier for you to make the improvements necessary to reach those goals.

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