How Do You Measure Success?

How do you measure success?  Some people think, "Oh if only I were rich, then I would be successful."  Others may think, "If only I were thin, that is the true measure of my success."  Here's what I think.  I was rich and I was thin and I was miserable.  I'm not saying that rich people and thin people are miserable.  I'm saying I was miserable.  I think the true measure of success for me is if I can help you be better than you were yesterday, if I can help you believe in yourself more, if I can help you see how truly special you are and that there is only one YOU in this world.  No one else is like you.  That is what truly puts a smile on my face at the end of the day. I had kind of lost this part of myself for awhile and I feel Ryan and Mana did this for me daily and reminded me of how to measure success.  They helped me believe in myself again bringing back to me my positive outlook on life.  You cannot attribute a dollar value to that, but it is the greatest feeling in the world.

As we all get ready for a new week (us with new trainers and Ryan and Mana with new jobs), I wanted to take this time to thank them again.  First a before and after picture of me.  This was before I started working out with them and then a photo from today.  You guys did this to me!!!!!  No seriously, I know I did the work, but you gave me the work to do and you both believed I could do it.

January 2016                             October 2016

A lot of times, Nancy, Jenna and I are complimented on how strong we are.  That kind of goes in one ear and out the other for me as I have nothing to compare this so-called strength to.  I know swimming and swimming analogies, but I do not know weight lifting analogies much.   I could sit here and write you about how much we deadlift, or how much we row, or how much we chest press, or how much we bench press - but I wouldn't know if that was strong or not.  And if it is, I wouldn't want to brag.  So let's just show you what both Mana and Ryan thought would be a fun "last" workout with us.  The one on the left was from Mana and was Thursday night at 4, and the one on the right was Ryan and was Friday night at 4.

So let's just break it down.  Thursday night there were three of us.  As a team we had to run 2 miles, do 300 push ups, 150 pull ups, 500 mountain climbers, 200 deadlifts (at 135 pounds), 300 LM Rows (sorry I don't know what LM means), and 100 burpees.  On Friday night there were four of us.  As a team we had to Row 2000 meters, do 1000 rope slams, 500 squats, 250 pushups (ON MY TOES), 125 overhead presses, 100 burpees, 100 wall balls, and 50 sled pushes.

This might be why we are perceived as strong.  I don't know.  Sometimes I think they love these workouts because it brings them great joy to watch us and secondly because we can't talk much when we are trying to get it done.  Let's just say Nancy, Joe, and I were pretty dang sore by Saturday - but it was a great sore.

Ryan - thank you for moving forward with me.  I'll see you at those weekly meetings.  I also hope to fine tune my frisbee golf skills and maybe our family will get a round of frisbee golf in with you next spring.  Mana -- you won't be rid of us.  We'll make sure of that.  I'm already looking for places where you and Joe can continue with your racquetball lessons.

Please know that in my eyes, you two ARE successful.  We are just one family and you have impacted our lives for a lifetime.  So going forward, define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live!

Hasta la vista, baby!