By David Tepera, November 27, 2019

Recently, a client asked if our family ever sits down and has dinner together? Kind of sadly, my reply was, “only on Sunday.”

You see, my family is like many of you with children. Modern day society has brought numerous organizations and sports in which parents enroll their children. A typical week is one parent rushing a child to their event, while the other parent is rushing another sibling to a different event. Usually, each parent is responsible for feeding that particular child. Believe me, I understand the importance of healthy activities because it brings many life lessons.

The only difference for me, I was a single parent when the kids were younger. At that time, I did all the cooking, so at the end of day, we did eat dinner together.

But, now, even though the kids are older and still live at home, they go to school and work. My wife Tina and son Dylan do most of the cooking. They prepare meals for all of us to eat each week, so we pack them in coolers, and go about our day. There’s a microwave at the Ageless Muscle fitness center, so meals are heated between client training.

Tomorrow will mark a special Thanksgiving holiday for all of us. For my family, this is the largest event of the year. My amazing loving mom Eileen Tepera, aka Nana, hosts an incredible feast each year.

Relatives fly and drive in from all over the country to enjoy this once a year food frenzy. Everyone brings a dish of some sort, with mom doing most of the cooking with her special Italian recipes to salivate over.

Once everyone is present and food is ready, we sit, laugh, love and catch up from the year’s past. Obviously, such an important time to break bread because there will be a day one family member might not be there with us.

So, my message today is to let go of your busy lives, let kids be kids, release all negative thoughts, and love those around you.

For some reason you’re not fortunate to have family or friends to celebrate with, I urge you to volunteer. There are many organizations seeking volunteers to distribute food to those less fortunate. I promise, this act will not only brighten your holiday, but those your serve.

So, tomorrow, take the time to sit down and share a meal with a smile.

By David Tepera, November 20, 2019

Since we own a family business, the term accountability is extremely important to us. All our clients know they can count on us to deliver the best outcome for their investment. We are result driven.

Each client quickly learns through consistency, hard work and accountability, they will exceed their expectations.

As you go about your daily routines, try to observe your surroundings. When at work, who are the employees worth their salaries? If you play sports, which teammate continues to outwork the others? Which family members are slackers and who is taking up the slack?

Earlier this year, Tina and I bought our last resting spot in an old established neighborhood. Our house was renovated but still has some bugs to work through.

Our new dishwasher has some electronic board issues needing trouble shooting. It’s taken five months and countless phone calls to finally get someone to come out and fix it. It’s been a bit of a nightmare because no one would step up to the plate and be accountable. Believe me, there’s much more to this situation. But, this issue did prompt a family discussion about the importance of accountability.

When I was coaching high school ball, part of the training program was teaching young athletes to be the best at their perspective positions. There’s no way a team sport can be successful unless everyone is going full speed. As we know, this accountability is necessary for every company and organization. The old term that a chain is only as strong as the weakest link is true.

As a parent, are you teaching your kids to be accountable? Do they understand the value of adhering to rules and laws? Have they learned to take ownership for consequences?

We all know too many people who point the finger and blame others for their failures.

Now, it’s time take a hard look at ourselves. Yes, there are times to step back and cruise through daily life, but there’s also time to strap on our helmets and go full speed.

Maybe that day is today. You’ve been putting off projects and serious situations that need attending. Tomorrow is too late, so put your foot down, psych your mindset and be prepared to win this game of life.

When it comes down to it, to succeed, you must be accountable.

By David Tepera, November 13, 2019

Many years ago, I became a single father when my youngest child Daylyn was in second grade. Since I grew up as a coach’s son in an athletic environment, it was natural for me to raise all my kids the same way.

Even though Daylyn is my only daughter, she participated in every sport possible. This ranged from martial arts, softball, basketball and soccer.

I didn’t know much about all the girly stuff out there, so we did try gymnastics and dance. Thank goodness Daylyn hated dance because the tap shoes hurt her feet. I guess she was used to only wearing sneakers her whole young life.

But, as much as I was trying to understand daughters, Daylyn was teaching me how to be a mommy. We bought matching aprons and cooked many cookies and brownies that would not have won any awards, but we still laughed and ate them up.

I probably spent five years with multiple colored toe nails from Daylyn’s collection. She thought it was cool for us to have matching toes. Yes, there were some embarrassing moments when people starred at my feet, but I got the biggest chuckle.

From the moment Daylyn was born, she receives a dozen roses on every birthday and Valentine’s Day. Not a year has been missed.

Through all the years of sports, Daylyn’s passion turned to volleyball while in middle school. She not only played for her school but for multiple select teams as well.

In the beginning, I didn’t understand volleyball that much, but quickly, I became the biggest cheerleader for the entire team. The game was full of strategy and explosive action. We spent many hours in the driveway learning to serve overhand on to the roof of the house. Daylyn’s brother Dylan would join us to volley the ball in our backyard.

Everyone would tell me that when girls become teenagers that it could be challenging, but Daylyn has always respected me for doing my best as an only parent. You have to remember, she’s my only girl.

Well, yesterday marked her 19th birthday, and our love is stronger than ever. We spent this past weekend shopping for girly stuff that included another pair of sneakers. And yes, she loved the dozen roses waiting for her.

Happy birthday Daylyn. You stole my heart at birth and will always be daddy’s little girl.