This is a simple yet extremely meaningful portion of the site. It’s human nature to forget from time to time where we came from, or who is responsible for contributing to our values and belief system.  For me, it can be broken down into four different relationships: my family, friends, how I treat myself and work (which you’ll see has several meanings).

I know there are those out there that have already built their foundation upon these elements, so you’ll appreciate the recognition we’ll give them. For those of you that may be stuck in a rut or somewhat confused as to who or where you are in your life, read on; you may find that doing your own reflection in these categories may open up your eyes and mind to new levels of expectation, motivation, and appreciation, and an overall excitement for what life has to offer.

My Commitment to My Family

An obvious starting point, the commitment I have towards my family will see no end. It’s the easiest commitment of the bunch as well. Think about it for a moment. Nothing can get in the way of your bloodline.  No matter what they have done, or failed to do, you must be at the side of a family member with constant support and love, and most of all, keep an open mind to actively participating in anything that can help them at their time of need.  Family is ahead of personal goals, dreams, desires, or anything else that proves to be personal.  Family can turn their back on you, treat you however they want and you still must be there with an open heart and mind for forgiveness.  The only way all members of the family can get on the same page is for many to maintain this paradigm, in the hopes that all will eventually jump on board.  All families have a “black sheep” or “problem child.”  Who knows, maybe you categorize yourself as someone who, whether accidental or not, is at the forefront of family issues or drama. All we have to do is practice non-selfish behavior. I say this is easy with family because the reality is that you are dealing with irreplaceable people. For me this became an easy commitment when I realized that absolutely no one walking this earth can take the place of any family member.  With that notion we realize just how important each one is to our heart. 

My ultimate commitment will be forever to my family. This will eventually include my wife and kids, God willing, and in due time. We are all put here for a reason, and our family helps us to realize exactly what that is.

My Commitment to My Friends

It took me many years to come full circle with this commitment. I attribute the recent growth in large part to my attempt at commitment to personal growth. The more and more I became comfortable with who I was, the more I learned to appreciate those around me.  I guess I can admit that I bring the good, the bad and the ugly into my true friendships. So, as you can imagine, having a friend that can tolerate all that is something you don’t mess around with!  Seriously though, I am proud to say that I have a long list of people I consider friends, people I would go the extra mile and beyond for. There are those that have been in my life for as little as a few years, and some since my childhood. Regardless, we all need our “fan base,” and besides family (and in some cases even more so), real friends get excited when you succeed and show compassion and support when you are down. They like you for who you are, not how you may be perceived, and never with a hidden agenda. In my industry, being as fortunate as I have been, it’s easy to come in contact with people who have an ulterior motive or who are seeking you out for their own selfish reasons.

I try to treat a close friend as I would a family member. It always starts with giving them the benefit of the doubt in all circumstances. This correlates to building trust among one another. Couple that with a strong level of communication and patience, and typically a great friendship will continue to grow and grow and grow.  

As I am getting older I am finding that the experiences ahead with my friends are getting better with age. Many are starting families now, most while chasing incredible careers. I’ve got friends in countries all over the world, four different continents come to think of it – good friends too. One of these days we will all get together and party like rock stars once again. Until then there is nothing better than keeping in touch, witnessing as the years pass that the friendship gets stronger with time.

My Commitment to Myself 

My commitment to myself is both enhanced by the other commitments and supportive in their development. I gain a greater understanding about what makes me “tick” when I make progress with the other commitments. I’ll use the experiences I gain from being loyal to my family, friends and career to help detail out what I am made of. Believing that everything in life is cyclical, I get pumped up knowing that I’m coming out as a better man each step of the way.

This starts, and ultimately stops if absent, with honesty. I am honest to myself – which means I accept my habits, downfalls, talents and strengths. If this is true then my next step is that of maintaining self-respect. Self-respect cannot be present if we are dishonest. Assuming we can get to the point of being honest and respectful to ourselves, that’s when we’ll arrive at a clear and balanced position and state of mind. Being balanced means being in control. Being in control is not easy, although many definitions of “control” can be supported. One in particular I like is that control simply means we are aware of our advantages and disadvantages at any given time, in any situation. I may feel in control of a negotiation because I understand the environment, the catalysts from various potential decisions and the “hot areas” I want to keep away from that could bite me in the tail later on. A different example: a boxer or fighter may feel comfortable because he has studied hours of film on his adversary, and has developed strategic attacks and counter-attacks through proper preparation. This can only be achieved if we are honest with ourselves, respect our abilities and get planted in a clear and balanced position to move forward.

My Commitment to Work 

Work, for me, can be described as anything that you do in an attempt to achieve your dreams.  Although it should be, work doesn’t have to be something that you thoroughly enjoy, but it definitely needs to be described as difficult or challenging.  If not, then I suggest you carefully re-evaluate what you are working for. 

My role with BSN is a perfect example of an incredibly taxing yet extremely rewarding job.  There is a wide range of responsibility that I am faced with, yet on the flip side this allows for an unbelievable opportunity to have a positive effect on multiple levels of our business, which for me is extremely gratifying.

I’m not sure if we can attain a high level of gratification if we do not have some sort of emotional tie or sense of ownership with that which we generate our income from.  I may not be the owner of BSN, but I can tell you that every single decision I make as a Director comes after careful evaluation of why I’m doing it, who is involved and how it affects our company’s productivity or margin.  From there I make every attempt to juggle emotion with instinct, then go for the gold and commit to the direction I chose to take.   

Work has to be in our lives.  It serves as a catalyst for so many impact areas.  Working at your top level speeds up a chance at early retirement, instills a strong foundation that will trickle down to anyone you come in contact with (especially children), makes you appreciate “play” and gives you something to talk about with your significant other.  Those are some pretty basic reasons, but to be completely honest it’s enough reasoning for all of us to work hard and work smart.

I’m proud to work in the health & fitness industry and honored to do so as a member of Team BSN.

New and exciting challenges lie ahead.  Work has now shifted into maximizing what opportunities there may be for a fitness professional to cross over into more mainstream work and entertainment.  It’s good to overload our plate from time to time; I mean, we only get one go-around at this, right!?!