What do you want out of life?
This is what I want: to live long, love fully, help as many people as possible, and have incredible experiences along the way. I want to leave this world a better place than when I got here, and I want to leave with no regrets.
Personally, I believe it’s our experiences, friendships, and relationships that make us who we are: our self-worth and level of success should be judged by the smile on our faces, not by the size of a bank account or square footage of a house. After all, you can’t take your money with you when you’re gone. This moment of clarity is tricky: some have it early in life, others need an momentous occasion for it become apparent, some are too afraid to have it, and others have it far too late. Mine came about two years ago on a cross-country flight. Here’s my story:
After graduating college I moved to sunny San Diego, 3000 miles away from my friends and family, and took a job in corporate America. I had it all: I lived 30 yards from the Pacific, surfed on a daily basis, drove a company car, made a lot of money…and I was miserable. After flying to visit my college friends in the fall of 2007, I got on the plane back to San Diego and I practically had a mental breakdown while flying: I was heading back to a life that didn’t feel like mine and down a path that I didn’t love. Most of all, I just missed my friends.
After a year and a half in Cali, I finally allowed myself to see that the dream life I had built in my mind wasn’t real. When the plane landed, I felt like I had direction for the first time in my life: I was going to move to Atlanta with friends and lead a life I would love to live (say THAT three times fast). To quote the Shawshank Redemption (again), I felt “the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain.” Just a month and a half later, I was living in Atlanta, working for an incredible company (which I found on Craigslist, don’t knock it). I now wake up each morning just happy to be alive; feeling like that on a Monday morning is one of the greatest things in the world.
Now, what does all of this have to do with Nerd Fitness? Since moving to Atlanta and getting a good handle on this whole “life” thing, I want to help others do the same. Although I started this site as a simple fitness blog, my ultimate vision is for it to become a full-blown community of like-minded individuals helping each other “level up” our lives. With two thirds of this country overweight and stuck behind a desk, I know that too many people are working unsatisfying jobs, living each day as a countdown, and dying far too young. Most of the country is walking the path towards obesity and mediocrity – join me on the road less traveled. I’m not saying you need to move cross country or abandon your life to chase your dreams (responsibility FTW), but it’s okay to want and expect a better life for yourself and your family…and then make it happen.
Why do I think fitness is so important in the grand scheme of life? Other than the obvious benefits of increased life expectancy, less trips to the doctor, and a more fulfilling social and professional life (it’s true), I know what improved health can do to a person’s confidence and outlook. I’ve had many friends and colleagues, stuck in a rut for years, start exercising and use that as the catalyst for big life changes. After losing 100 pounds, deciding to leave your crappy job, get out of a bad relationship, or start your own company suddenly doesn’t seem so far-fetched. Even if you’re happy with your job, relationship, and life, I guarantee you will love life more if you’re healthy.
For those of you stuck in that rut, why not make a small change and get the ball rolling? Start eating better and exercise for 20 minutes today; you’ll be surprised how suddenly your life seems to brighten. For those of you who read this blog and have already started the change, I ask that you please pass this article along to somebody who might be stuck. Bring them up to your level, and help them get the ball rolling. It could change their life.
Thanks.
-Steve
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