I spent 24 years in the military, several of those years found me in the role of First Sergeant. My final duty before retirement was as First Sergeant of the 474th Medical Group. I had general supervision over 450 medical and support personnel. The commander was a doctor and a fighter pilot so I pretty much ran the place. He and I would meet every Monday morning and I would tell him about anything going on and what I was planning on doing about it. That way he could either give me blanket approval for the weeks administrative actions or we could discuss anything he had a concern about.

One of the reasons the commander wanted me in the position was because of my passion for promoting personal fitness and my belief in the power of self esteem. When someone asked one of my troops “What’s happening”, which was a popular phrase back in the day, you could tell if they were one of mine if they answered, “I am”. Anyone who follows my writing or been around me very much knows I still feel the same way, even now 23 years later.

My personal philosophy is this: We must feel good about ourselves because of what we do not because of something we have that another does not. Our actions should be the source of our pride not our material wealth. Time is never wasted if it’s spent in motion, either mentally or physically. Can a life be lived based on those principles? I think so, they have served me well.

Dave.

Many of us live with self doubt, we make excuses, we have fears of failure and ridicule. Mental roadblocks which convince us that we can never be good enough or strong enough. They hold us back when we really could be stronger and more confident. They keep us from over coming temptations. Each of us must break those mental chains if we are ever to be all we are capable of. Most people never know how great they could be, but courageous people who can beat back their fears and break their cruel hold, will become champions. Working harder than we believe possible. Going just a little bit further after feeling tired. Sprinting forward, when there is nothing left. All these are ways to build confidence and readjust our thinking. Finding the courage to free the mind of those self imposed bonds will be life changing.

Dave

The road to our personal destiny doesn’t have signs pointing the way and there are many crossroads. The map is already within each of us but we have to want to see it. The secret is to trust our dreams and keep going. If we wait for directions or permission from others we are just delaying what must ultimately be our decision and ours alone.

As adult athletes we have already made some of those decisions and started on our journey. Where it takes us is up to us. A warm spring day, the miles flowing smoothly beneath our feet, the fresh clean air energizing our whole being. It’s easy to say “Yeah this is what I was meant to be doing today”.

Dave

My mind is chaos, my body stressed to the breaking point, every fiber of my being inflexible and tight. The warm-up begins but I really just want a nap, maybe a second cup of coffee. Lap one is past and I’m hating every minute, I’m cold, my It band hurts. Lap two is behind me, one shoe feels to tight the other to loose. Lap three, I might just survive this. Lap four, the first mile is done, I start feeling a light sweat. My jacket is thrown to the side of the track and my arm swing is finally in sync with my stride. My thoughts have evolved from whine to Grrrrrrr. I’m at peace and all is right in my world.

It’s not just a step, it’s a start.

Dave

What are our dreams worth, sacrifice, compromise, conflict, secretly we do know the price of success. Doing without to achieve an envisioned goal is difficult since each day needs and desires arise that we feel must be satisfied if we are to continue on. Funny thing about those needs and desires is that we have trained ourselves to depend on them. We can train ourselves to use less of our resources and still thrive. Whether it’s losing a pound, saving a dollar or winning a national championship, when the decision is made that the dream is worth the price, all things are possible.

It’s not just a step, it’s a start.

Dave

Only the Brave

There is a children’s story about Lambert the lion cub that was raised by sheep. Lambert grew up believing he was a sheep. One day wolves were attacking the mother sheep that had raised him. In that instant he was changed forever, out of his mouth came not another bleat but the battle roar of an apex predator. He realized that he wasn’t a sheep after all. His eyes glowed with fierceness and a new found confidence.

I have seen that same look in the eyes of adult athletes when they finish their first marathon. Tears are often streaming down their faces but there is no doubt that something is very different. Worn down to nothing but the raw desire to keep moving, transcending exhaustion, they gain entry onto a plane of existence that is reserved for only the brave. The path walked may be the same after crossing that finish line, the athlete is not!

It’s not just a step, it’s a start.

Dave

Destiny

Everyone has a future, only a chosen few have a destiny. Chosen because they made a decision not to blindly accept what each day brings but to embrace the opportunity it offers. Destiny is not determined by what happens around us but by our actions. No destination is possible without a decision to start the journey.

Fame, money, power, even a royal blood line are not requirements for a life that has meaning. The direction our lives take are instead the result of what we envision for ourselves and what we have the courage to do. Once we are in motion it’s easier to keep faith with our dreams. Then is moving forward a requirement for a life that has direction? Yes, sitting and watching others live is just letting time pass not truly living.

Add motion to your life, experience the difference, once started few desire to ever return to a sedentary life. That first step forward might not shake the world but it can have the most amazing affect on every fiber of our being. Chose motion, destiny awaits, but it doesn’t come to us, we have to travel the road that leads there. What is destiny, each person must answer that for themselves. Here is a secret, every step taken makes that question easier to answer.

It’s not just a step, it’s a start.

Dave