All posts by David

Growing up with a father who was a high school football coach, I was around sports my entire life. Even to this day, at the age of 55, I'm a professional physique competitor. So, as you can read from my blog, I see the world as one big sports arena that teaches us all lessons on life. Enjoy, because today, your life will change.
Inspiration

Stay in bounds

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, December 13, 2016 

Most sports that use a ball for play will have an out-of-bounds line. Typically, within these sports, the ball is turned over to the opponent for going out-of-bounds.

Let’s use soccer for today’s lesson. Like many other sports, the whole idea is to move the ball down to the other side of the playing field to score a point in the opponent’s goal.

Of course, the drive down the field is not just a straight line. The other team will have defenders trying to steal the ball, knock you down with slide tackles, and force an out-of-bounds.

So, in order for a team to score, they’ll need protect the ball, go through or around defenders, and most importantly — stay in bounds.

Maneuvering the ball through defenders is a skill that takes practice and patience, but with persistence, will usually score a point.

I think we can all agree, our lives are like trying to score goals in soccer.

The soccer field represents our life’s journey. We are all doing our best to reach success and happiness. But, as we’ve learned, it’s not a fast straight line to reach our goals.

There will always be obstacles and people getting in your way to stop or slow down your progress. Just like in soccer, sometimes you have to regroup, take a step back and maneuver around them.

We all have human flaws too, so don’t get discouraged when you get sidetracked and fall out-of-bounds. I look at this period as a timeout. It’s easy to get depressed if you dwell on the mistake of falling off track.

Just know, you can’t control what happened yesterday, but today is all yours. So get back on the field and get moving again.

When I was coaching high school soccer, it was easy for my team to get frustrated when the opponent kept stealing the ball. But, I explained that we needed to step up to another level and focus on our game plan.

Never lose the will for the ultimate goal which is to score. It’s already within you. Create more passion with every attempt.

Now, just like in soccer, stick to your game plan in life and don’t stop until you’ve scored the winning point.

I can hear it now “Goooooaaaaal!”

Inspiration

Life gives you unlimited fouls

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, December 6, 2016 

When my son Dylan was playing basketball, I would gauge his performance on two statistical factors. The first factor: how many fouls did he commit?

In the game of basketball, you are allowed five fouls before being ejected from the game.

In the early years, Dylan would have anywhere from zero to one foul. I would explain to him that it’s obvious he wasn’t aggressive enough and needed to defend the basket better.

Besides incidental fouls, sometimes a player has to commit a foul to stop a critical point from being scored.

Dylan stepped up his defensive skills, committed at least two-to-three fouls per game, and helped keep the opponent’s score lower. And yes, he did foul out once in his career, but his shot-blocking was impressive.

The second factor I gauged Dylan on was how many times he went to the free-throw line. You see, getting free throws means you’re being aggressive offensively by driving to the basket to score.

If Dylan wasn’t getting to the free-throw line, then he wasn’t trying to score hard enough. He needed to help his teammates, take on the opponents and get to the basket.

Well, aren’t these two factors just like in life? As humans, you’ll commit multiple fouls. We all have made bad decisions, committed sins and hurt others. Some of these are embarrassing, but don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s a part of life that helps us grow and mature as adults.

Not all our fouls are committed on purpose. How about financial purchases, bad relationships or workplace choices?

The beauty of all this is life will give you unlimited fouls. Just do your best to not repeat the same foul.

Also, recognize life will foul you back. This will be your turn to shoot at the free-throw line. It’s a moment to regroup, reflect on the situation, shoot the ball and move forward again.

When we reflect over our lives, do we think about how easy it was to score? Of course not, we’ve all had to fight through adversity to conquer life.

Just know, if you’re dealing with life’s challenges at this moment, then grip the ball, lean your body forward and fight your way to the basket and make the game-winning point.

Inspiration

Get off the sidelines

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, November 29, 2016 

In my youth, I played football for many years, but in ninth grade, I found myself standing most of the time on the sideline. I wasn’t the only kid, but I wasn’t happy about it and became discouraged.

Now, I didn’t fault my coach too much because, at that time, I was definitely not one of the bigger skilled players.

Right then I recognized, when it comes to team sports, coaches make every decision of players, plays and strategies. It’s a game of chess hoping to outsmart the opponent’s coach.

The most frustrating part of hardly ever playing was realizing that I had no control of it. As a player, you can only hope that all your efforts in practice would give you an opportunity.

Whenever our team would win, everyone was celebrating and cheering. Not me. I was embarrassed and ashamed, as I stood there in my clean uniform.

The lesson learned was that if I wanted to play the whole game and dictate the outcome, then I needed to pursue individual sports.

Once I was out of high school, I taught myself to surf, ran a marathon, became a triathlete and competed in martial arts.

Not only in sports, if I wanted to dictate my life, then I needed to pursue happiness and success to live the life I wanted.

Yes, I got knocked down, had stitches, broken bones and multiple surgeries to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. But, that only excited me because I knew I was giving my all, and the lessons of failure are only part of the process.

So, what about you? Are you standing on the sidelines of life? Are you just flying under the radar hoping to one day retire? Why have you given up?

As adults, you shouldn’t be happy with a participation trophy.

That lesson in ninth grade was a defining moment and taught me to never want to be on the sidelines again.

Now get up and recognize there’s a lot of life to live. We are fortunate to live in a country where it is possible to not only chase dreams, but to accomplish them.

One day we will all cross the pearly gates of heaven. If you walk in unscathed without scars, then you didn’t give life your best.

I plan on tumbling and sliding into heaven head first like Pete Rose. I’ll jump up and yell, “Wow, that was a crazy ride!”

Inspiration

Life in the red zone

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, November 22, 2016 

If you’re not familiar with the red zone in football, it’s an opportunity to score from the opponent’s 20-yard line into the end zone. All football teams have a strategy within the red zone because the playing field becomes much smaller.

Really, a team only has three tries to score a touchdown, or at least, hopefully, settle for a field goal. So, there’s a very specific set of strategic plays according to the team being played.

Remember, a touchdown is worth 6 points, along with a possible 1 to 2 extra points, compared to only 3-point field goals.

Teams are particularly not happy with a field goal, but will be somewhat satisfied because it at least puts points on the board.

Now, I believe many parts of our lives are like being in the red zone.

How many of you set a goal to lose 20 pounds, and once you lost around 8-10 pounds, you couldn’t find the discipline to lose the extra 10?

So, you settle for a field goal, and told yourself, “well, at least I lost some weight.” But that didn’t matter because you ended up losing the game, for within a few weeks all the weight came back. I know that last statement hurt.

How many of you settled into a relationship because it was convenient. You thought to yourself “well at least they have a job.”

You can say this about occupations, bad habits, religion, education and so on.

You must dig deep and find a way to not only reach goals, but to blow past it.

When I was teaching karate, I spent many hours showing people how to hit punching bags. To truly develop punching power, you can’t just hit the front of the target, you must put your fist through to the other side. Every muscle within your body has to be behind that punch.

So, come on now, let’s not settle for field goals any longer. We live our lives in the red zone. As we get closer to our goals, the reward is within reach, and strategies become crucial.

It’s time to pad up and strap on your helmet because today you will score a touchdown. No opponent, anyone or any situation can stop you. The ball is in your hands as you fight through all adversity.

Now spike the ball, yell at the top of your lungs and do a crazy end zone dance because you just won the day.

Inspiration

Take the wheel of life

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 

Are you behind on your goals and dreams? Are the bills stacking up? Why haven’t you lost the weight needed? For some reason, there is one problem after another.

Look, we all have multiple problems throughout our daily lives. As adults, we can’t escape the responsibilities of trying to maintain a normal life, especially parents.

It’s easy to stay in the same old routine and accept defeat. Don’t throw in the towel and say “well, at least I made it through another month.” Stop letting bad habits keep you from moving forward.

You must dig deep and create a passion to help stay focused and drive through it. You’re in the driver’s seat speeding through a time warp. Sometimes the road will have many curves, stop signs, U-turns, along with speed zones and road bumps. It’s your choice to accelerate or brake.

My previous vehicle lasted for 235,000 miles. During that time, I kept the oil current, put on new tires and brakes, along with another transmission. That car was my livelihood. It took me to work and back, drove the kids to all their functions, and became part of the family.

You must treat yourself like a prized car. Eat healthy foods by changing your diet, and exercise outdoors. It’s also important to pamper yourself when needed.

Get mad and take back your life. Now is the time to put the brakes on old routines and bad habits, and accelerate toward your dreams.

Don’t be scared. Yes, you’ll have a few bumps and dents along the way. Just make the repairs and get back on the road. We’ve all worn casts for broken bones, along with stitches and bruises. And, of course, mental scars too. Give yourself a “high-five” for attacking life.

Enough is enough. You now have control and will keep life on the road to success. When people try to cut in front of you, drive around and pass them up. Take the lead, and be the first through the checkered flag.

You’re the winner, and will earn all the prizes because it was you who took over the wheel of life.

 

Inspiration

Business planning in the gym

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 

Most business meetings take place in conference rooms, golf courses and nice restaurants. Recently, I sat down with two gentlemen who plan business while training in the gym.

Billy Manovich works in the oil and gas industry, and Mike Smith owns a dental practice in Pearland. Both have been gym training for more than 30 years.

Billy came up with an idea for an invention and pitched it to his workout partner Mike. Through several months of planning, financing and marketing, they launched a product called The Simple Scrub.

What’s interesting to me, through my conversation with them, is they both share a desire to constantly improve their lives through health and fitness. This desire for improvement catapulted to an invention to help others.

One day, Billy’s grandmother was kneeling down while cleaning her bathtub, but struggled to stand back up because of health issues. So, he designed a prototype bath scrubbing device where his grandmother could clean these hard to reach areas while standing. Besides staying out of a slippery tub, it also kept her from inhaling unnecessary toxic fumes.

Each time someone would use this device, they would inform Billy and Mike of how much easier, quicker and safer cleaning became.

Billy knew he had something to help others and improve lives, so the launch of The Simple Scrub began. Their sales started from 250 orders in June to 1,500 in November of this year.

Me, being a single father and cleaning multiple tubs, I had to try it myself. OK, I was overly impressed because it only took a few minutes per tub and was sparkling clean. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing about it.

Besides households, I recommend for hotels, hospitals, boaters and any other cleaning services. If interested, check out their website www.thesimplescrub.com.

Listen, we all have great ideas and inventions that swirl in our minds, but putting it into action becomes the biggest step.

You never know, the person working out next to you at the gym might be your connection. So, share your ideas to improve people’s lives like two dedicated training partners named Billy Manovich and Mike Smith.

 

Inspiration

Clean up after the battle

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, November 1, 2016 

We all have multiple battles we deal with each day. The most common battles are maintaining a job for financial security, relationships with spouses or partners, improving a healthy lifestyle or combating life threatening illnesses — just to name a few.

There are many of you who are, or you have someone you know who is, battling cancer. The good news is you’ve caught it early and won the battle. But, it’s the cleanup that’s preventing you from being excited about life again.

What do I mean by “cleanup?” Yes, you’ve kicked cancer’s butt, and now, there’s many follow-up doctor’s visits, plus the healing process. You must accept this will take time and is part of winning the battle. Don’t let the cleanup keep you down. Make it a victory lap where you get to thank all the medical staff, friends and family involved.

To me, it’s like when a country defeats the enemy in battle. They’ve blown up many buildings to flush out and kill the bad guys. Yes, you’ve won the mission, but the streets and cities must be cleaned up and put back together to help the innocent citizens. It’s hard to truly celebrate until the process has been completed.

I hope this makes sense because it’s just like your body. It needs to repair and clean up after all the treatments.

Think about it, the cleanup process is in every battle, including divorce, occupational changes and even resolved spousal disputes.

None of us can escape life’s battles. It really comes down to a positive mindset. Recognize your life will continue and every day is day to rejoice.

If you’re reading this column, then you’re alive, breathing, heart is beating and you have the emotions of love.

Regain your love of life because we are all unique and beautiful. Look around and see all the amazing people who love and embrace you.

Now relax, it’s going to be OK because today is the best day of your life.

Diets

Why are people addicted to junk food?

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 

Recently, I was a guest speaker to a group of high school seniors. One student asked me my thoughts of why people become addicted to junk food.

The following reply is my explanation of why there’s an obesity epidemic that plagues our present-day society.

You see, back in the early days, there was only one parent working which was typically the father. The mother stayed home bearing all the responsibilities of raising children and house work.

Most all meals were prepared by mom using fresh vegetables and fruits from the garden or the local grocery store. All meats and fish came from area farmers and lakes. Eggs and dairy came from grass-fed cattle and chickens.

Now, I’m not saying all of mom’s meals were completely healthy because there was a lot of flour and grease used for cooking back then. But, it still wasn’t processed foods.

Fast forward to present day, and our American society has drastically changed. Now you have both parents working to create better financial security. Mom and dad put in a full day’s work and cooking becomes too great a chore. It’s much easier to grab precooked processed foods on the way home.

Your kids probably have multiple activities after school like dance rehearsals, baseball practice, karate lessons and so on. Both parents are going in multiple directions trying to accommodate the needs of each child. “Honey, you get food for Billy, and I’ll grab something for Suzie. See y’all later tonight.”

Also, present-day children’s lunchboxes are filled with foods that come in wrappers, boxes and juice packets. All these are loaded with sodium and sugar. Read the labels and you’ll be upset with yourself.

Lastly, I told the group of high school seniors, when you were kids, how often did you attend birthday parties on the weekends? Because we live in such crowded cities along with multiple activities, kids will have tons of friends. Which is fine, but they are probably eating birthday cake and ice cream almost every weekend.

So, how do we change these destructive eating habits in our crazy busy parenting lives?

You already know the answer. You must grocery shop and meal plan for the entire week. This includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. Give your kids a variety of veggies, fruits and nut treats to find out which are their favorites.

Parents, I know you’re busy and tired, but you must take a step back and teach your kids a healthier diet. You’re setting them up for a better quality of life.

Inspiration

“The Power of You”

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2016 

My sister Karen Tepera Franklin is a very successful business woman in the apartment management industry. Each year, Karen hosts an annual conference she created called WAM — Women’s Asset Managers.

Over the past few years, WAM has grown from three women to nearly 200, and has become a nationally known and recognized conference.

This year’s conference theme was “The Power of You.” Recently, Karen was in town visiting, so I had an opportunity to pick her brain about the theme.

Karen explained that all of us have a story that empowers us. Almost all successful people had dealt with tragedy and failure. It’s during these times we truly find ourselves and the will to power through it.

Now, how true is all that statement? I’m sure each of you, at this very moment, is reflecting on past or current struggles. Most common struggles are healthier lifestyles, occupational changes, relationships and self-worth.

Here’s how Karen and many others have used “The Power of You” to enhance their lives and accomplish goal setting.

You have to take on the mindset of a gladiator. In case you don’t know, the true term of a gladiator is a warrior that goes into each battle knowing that if you don’t give your all, you’ll die. This means you’ll empower determination to focus on a target and not stop until it’s been conquered.

Have you ever heard the phrase “burn the boats?” It’s when you land on an island to build a new life. You burn the boats so there’s no escaping and returning to failure. You’re forced to work and fight every day if you want to survive.

The beauty of this type of determined behavior is the final reward. You’ll win each day and be one step closer to your target. Even the days you get knocked down, you’ll learn from it, regroup, re-strategize and come out swinging.

One of my dad’s favorite quotes is, “It’s not that I want to. I had to”.

Inspiration

Make it a great day

By DAVID TEPERA | Posted: Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Recently, I was listening to a radio interview with Troy Aikman, Hall of Famer and former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Aikman was asked about his former wide receiver Michael Irvin. His response was how Irvin can turn an average practice into a great one with his enthusiasm and work ethic.

Let’s all think about how we can apply that same mentality and turn our average days into something great.First, start by recognizing and being thankful for everything you already have. I sometimes remind my kids that there are thousands of other kids who would love to trade places, so appreciate what you have.

Take your average day at work: complete unfinished projects, help a colleague or decide to treat others with more respect and make everyone’s day better.

Maybe when you get home this evening, instead of plopping on the couch, take a brisk walk and enjoy the outdoors.

Take the family to the park, their favorite restaurant, get ice cream or just find time to interact with them. Kids want parents to listen to them and be loved. I sometimes try to be sillier than my kids. They think I’m the biggest dork, and I love it.

When’s the last time you surprised your spouse with a random heartwarming hug along with a passionate kiss? Look at them and say “just because,” then walk away and leave them in shock. This could be your lucky day — wink wink.

Listen, we all battle the brutal world during our average days. Don’t let yourself get caught up going through life just making ends meet while being stuck in the same old routine.

Tap into your creative mind and start thinking outside the box. Find what you truly have a passion for and apply it into your daily life.

I have a passion for many things, but I get the biggest kick out multiple acts of kindness throughout my day.

I typically work in a variety of hospitals each week. So, I interact with complete strangers all day long via parking garages, elevators, offices and operating rooms. I always hold the door and greet people with a smiling, head-nodding hello.

At least I know, for one brief moment, that person had an opportunity to smile. They might be having a bad day, and that one smile helped them get back on track to a great day.

Now go for it and make it a great day, too.