When my kids were small, I did my best to expose them to as many sports as possible. They were playing up to 3-4 different sports per year, but would always take summers off. The kids and dad needed a break.

During that time, I let them determine which sport was their passion. My goal was to prepare them for high school to which they could excel and love the game. I never pushed them in the direction I preferred.

If you’ve raised your kids through youth sports, I’m sure we can all agree, there’s that parent pushing their kid and taking all the fun out of it.

Now don’t misunderstand me, most parents push their kids so they’ll learn to be successful, including the hard work to get there. But, we all know the parent living through their kid’s athletic ability because they are hiding behind their lack of.

Whose dream job are you working? Was this your path or the job your parents or spouse pushed you into?

I understand we must pay the bills, but why be miserable all day every day? It’s your life and you have control of it, so reflect, refuel, refocus, and go after that dream job.

I spent 20 years in the medical industry, and the last year was absolutely miserable due to new management. It was making me depressed, so I put a plan together and started my own business at the age of 56.

Why are you wasting life with someone you don’t really care for? Is it for convenience, or are you someone who can’t be independent?

It’s not fair to them or you because you’re preventing both of you from finding true love. Don’t just settle for anyone. Get out in this amazing world, volunteer, and you’ll meet someone with common interests.

So, if you’re not happy with your current status in any aspect of life, then today is your day to turn it all around. It’s time to reflect, refuel and refocus.

Well, this prompted me to pick up the pace. Now, it does take me a little time to get moving in the morning due to old injuries, but once my body has warmed up — it’s on!

My pace is quicker, my speech is enthusiastic, plus I force my body to project more energy. I’ve been doing this most of the year, and it’s now become my standard. I’m known to be a “hand talker,” so now, I’m moving so fast I could land planes.

People are surprised when I reveal my age because everything about me reflects a younger man.

Listen, we can’t stop Father Time. He has won every battle throughout human history. But, you can sure put up a good fight and enjoy life longer with more energy. You just got to put your mind to it.

Next time you’re walking in the mall, parking lots, to and from the mailbox, or where ever, pick up your pace. Try to out-walk everyone in your path. Treat it like a race and pass everyone up.

In your head, you should be thinking, “get out of my way all you lazy farts, this young’n is coming through.”

I now out-walk my kids. They’re constantly telling me to slow down. I tell them to catch up because I’m not slowing down until I lay my head on the pillow tonight.

Believe me, once you get adjusted to this new standard, you’ll enjoy life to the fullest. Your body will produce endorphins, plus metabolism will kick into a higher gear. I’m actually staying leaner from all the extra expended energy.

Hopefully, you understand that this faster pace mentality should be used in all aspects of life, including athletes, coaches, employers, employees, spouses and any driven person reading this. No matter what you’re involved in, increase the energy level.

Come on now, don’t accept getting older as an excuse to slow down. Stay in this fight and throw some punches at Father Time. Knock him down, kick him in the head, and use your fast pace as you sprint off into a new energetic life.

This made me reflect over my life because I’ve spent most of my time on a budget. I always wanted a luxury car, expensive house, wear the finest of clothes, but that never really happened.

So, there came a time of reality when I recognized that any good working car will get me to my destination. My house already provided the family with a roof, electricity, running water and food in the fridge. The clothes I wear didn’t reflect my character, but the way I treat people did.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you can afford those luxuries, I’m truly excited for you. You deserve it for the path you’ve chosen. I just want others to recognize it doesn’t determine your quality of life. It’s how you go about in this world treating others with respect and dignity.

Once I discovered this reality, I also discovered how wealthy I already am because every day I enjoy making people smile, lifting them up, including being a good person and role model for my children.

My point today is for each of us to love who we are and make your current status the right fit for you. Yes, we should all keep pushing forward to improve our lives, but also take in the moment and love each other.

A few years back, I downgraded to the smallest and least expensive house possible to accommodate my two teenage children and I. At first, the kids were disappointed because they weren’t sure of the neighborhood. But, once I told them that now I can afford to buy them each a used car, then they loved the house. You get my point?

It’s funny that something as small as a pair of running shoes is our reminder to find and accept the right fit for us all.

Activate your mind, body and spirit into positive action.

C

Compete in every aspect of life to be at your best.

T

Thoughts lead to action, which will determine your destiny.

I

Initiate action, quit being passive and take control.

O

Opportunity; create it, don’t wait for it.

N

Now is when you take-action. It doesn’t matter if you’re not ready, just get the process started and you’ll figure it out.

…

Now, my hopes that all of you are doing some serious soul searching at this moment. Our “A.C.T.I.O.N.” philosophy can be used for athletes, work place situations, parents, children, seniors and so-on.

Probably the most important position of all head coaches is the ability to motivate your players.

Even though I was a successful high school coach, I learned my motivational skills from my father. Dad had an old-school technique that could get the best from every player.

For you employers, when’s the last time you showed leadership to inspire your employees into action? Who reflects the strongest mindset within a family, and teaches others the importance of a strong character?

Marriage is a 50/50 partnership. Do you support and lift each other up? Is it truly a partnership, or is one more-needy than the other?

Really, we must all face reality, and realize our current status is due to our actions or lack of.

Don’t worry about yesterday because you can make an immediate change by taking on the mindset of “A.C.T.I.O.N.” Today is your day to take back life.

Most people want to avoid adversity hoping it will just go away, but that’s not reality. When you’re a kitten, you only create disappointment for not taking action. Most of the time, adversity will hang around unless you stand up and become a lion.

It’s important to understand, with each challenge you conquer, you become stronger, plus increase confidence level.

As an athlete, don’t accept the mentality of sitting on the bench. Yes, we all have taken turns of bench riding, but that’s your wakeup call to become a lion. Obviously, there are skills needing improvement.

As a former high school coach, my advice is to meet with the coach one-on-one, and ask for advice to improve weaknesses. I guarantee that coach will have you in their sights, and respect you for manning up.

Now, let’s say your skill level is subpar, but don’t get discouraged. I used to tell my football players that when they mess up, they better be going full force.

For example, a running back steps the wrong direction when receiving a handoff from the quarterback. Obviously, the running back isn’t going to get the ball, so don’t stop, and throw a hard block on the defense because you left your quarterback stranded. It could possibly still become a successful play.

Are you starting to understand the difference between kittens and lions?

Look, this lion mentality should be used for getting job promotions, communication with spouses, co-workers, even bullies, and so on.

It’s time to stop being a kitten because it’s getting you nowhere. A lion’s roar is one of the most powerful sounds in the jungle. Every animal will scatter when the lion approaches.

Now, I’m not telling you to be mean to people. Today is about standing up to get your life moving forward.

We have this amazing journey in life, and the best part, you get to determine the destination.

Next time you get into an intense situation, or need to be heard, get in their face and let out the biggest roar possible. I guarantee you’ll be getting a new job. OK, just kidding, but I think I’ve made my point.

Of course, the emailer and I went into much more detail, but you get the message. So, the following is a general response for all of you, “Where do you see yourself in two years, and what’s your vision?”

Deep down, we all know who we truly are, and probably disappointed that we haven’t reached the success we were hoping for. This pertains to people of all ages.

Sometimes, we get caught up just surviving each month to pay the bills, and forget to chase our passions. This is why we get stuck in a rut, which can add to depression.

It’s interesting to me that about every 10 years, I rediscover myself and make some serious changes. The good news is with each new change, life gets better, but there’s plenty of setbacks in the beginning.

So, maybe it’s time to ask yourself “What’s your vision?” This question is for all walks of life — student athletes, employers, employees, mothers, fathers, and so on.

No matter your position, do you only train enough to be on the team, or are you putting in the extra work to be at your personal best? You should keep a vision in your head that you’re the star player in that perspective position, and act like it.

Do you dread going to work each day? Where do you want to be in two years? What steps and changes will it take to get there? If you truly want it, you’ll find the way. Make a written plan with small victories that help reach your vision.

This is how martial arts helped me. The ultimate goal was to obtain a black belt. Every three to six months, I would test for another belt level. With each new belt, I would gain more experience, and become a better fighter. So, after four years, I earned the opportunity to test for my first-degree black belt in American Tae Kwon Do under master Al Garza.

The martial arts experience helped me to goal set in my personal and business life. I hope this makes sense.

Now, if you feel you’ve reached the end of the road and going nowhere, then it’s time to drive down a new road. Sometimes, you can’t see what lies ahead, but keep moving because your true destiny is waiting on you to conquer.

Next, if a woman wants your advice about how to lift weights, she’ll ask you. It’s a corny move when you try to act like you’re a former personal trainer. There’s a reason why she’s wearing earphones — to keep you away. Besides, that woman could probably teach you a thing or two about lifting.

If you have a sweat problem, carry a towel and wipe up after yourself. The gym is typically disgusting, so we don’t want to bathe in your bacteria. Don’t be a bozo.

For those of you who like to drop and bang your weights, there’s hardcore gyms available for you. We would like to use the same weight machine before you break it. You’re costing gym owners for repairs.

If you feel the need to scream while lifting, go back to the hardcore gyms and lift with the other screamers. You’re not impressing anyone — but yourself. Everyone else thinks you’re a bozo.

For modern day lifters, get off your phone. People are waiting to use your weight machine. You can text later, if not, go stand off to the side.

Also, it’s very nervy to be on a cardio machine while someone next to you is yelling into their phone. We don’t care about your drama with the significant other. See a therapist.

Look, people use the gym for multiple purposes. Most people want to get in, hit it hard, and get out. When you see someone you know, and feel the need to say something, make it quick because a lengthy conversation cools people down and takes them out of the zone.

As professional athletes, Tina and I are well-known in the local gyms where we do our training. We’ve come to realize people want our advice about different aspects of training and diet. We will take a moment, give one piece of advice, then hand you our card for further correspondence.

Bottom line, be respectful to all other people in the gym. The gym is there for everyone’s needs, so don’t be a bozo.

My thought is for all parents, this is your new start, too. As parents, we learn valuable lessons each school year to help improve our own skills. This might be the year to instill better homework and studying time. Maybe, we should get more involved in our children’s activities, volunteer at school functions, plus get to know our kid’s friends.

During the 1990s, I was a high school science teacher. One observation that was clear to me was the best well-behaved students had very involved parents.

Now that I run my own business, I try to treat each week as a new start. Instead of dreading Mondays, I pump myself up like it’s a brand-new week to change lives. My goal each day is to make an impact to help people love themselves.

I would like you to take a moment and reflect on your life. We all have lessons learned from the past, but think mostly about your biggest victories. Try to bask in the euphoric emotions you possessed when you conquered an obstacle. That exuberant feeling of winning a long, hard-fought battle — not just in sporting events, but in life. Maybe it was completing night school, defeating an illness, picking yourself up after a divorce, or conquering a bad addiction. The life list can go on and on, just depending on your situation.

But that’s just it, every time we conquer life, we get a new start. Don’t let any situation keep you down. Kick it to the curb and keep your pace. There’s an amazing destiny that your journey is taking you towards. All it takes is making this your best day ever.

I often tell people, when it comes to dieting, food becomes a chore, not pleasure.

What typically surprises clients is when they’re trying to add lean muscle, lose fat or both, they must eat every two to three hours. For some reason, most people think to lose weight, you must starve yourself.

Well, guess what? You’re right. You will lose weight, but some of that weight loss is muscle tissue. To lose weight properly, you must eat and never go hungry.

Remember in 1988 when Oprah Winfrey stepped on stage to millions of viewers, and modeled an old pair of her size 10 Calvin Klein jeans?

For four months, under a doctor’s supervision, Oprah only drank a 400-calorie-a-day liquid to lose 67 pounds. She even wheeled in 67 pounds of blob in a wheel barrel to show the audience. Oprah was every woman’s hero for her weight loss success. I will agree, it takes a lot of discipline to pull that off.

But, that was one of the worst diets to ever hit the market, and here’s why.

In case you didn’t know, within two days, Oprah could no longer wear those jeans — ever. The first thing Oprah did when she walked off stage was destroy a whole bag of potato chips in her dressing room, and the diet catastrophe process began.

Oprah’s body went into a catabolic state, which is what happens when you starve yourself. Our bodies are determined to keep organs functioning and will do what’s necessary for survival. What this means is Oprah’s body chewed up her own muscle tissue as fuel to survive.

Now, when Oprah started eating again, she added more fat onto less muscle. That’s why she looked like crap for a long time.

What happens with most diets is you are forced to eliminate certain foods. I’m not referring to fried or other processed foods, but actual healthy nutritional food. Our bodies need all the macro and micro nutrients that comes with all fresh foods. This pertains to protein, carbs, veggies and healthy fats. Yes, fats.

Just remember, when it comes to getting our bodies healthy again, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.