Category Archives: Inspiration

Inspiration

Leaders float to the top

By David Tepera, July 29, 2017

Reasons why people become leaders is a debatable topic. Some think people are born leaders and others believe they are taught. My thoughts are the combination of both.

I feel we all have leadership qualities within us. It’s just finding and recognizing what we truly have a passion for and then pouring every ounce of ambition into it.

In every situation, leaders will float to the top.

For those of you who’ve been in Galveston County over the past 25 years, you know former La Marque head football coach Allan Weddell took the team to five state championships — winning three of them. This occurred during the 1993 to 1997 seasons.

I had the privilege of being one of his assistants through those years. You might not know this, but Coach Weddell produced six of our area high schools’ head football coaches:

Leland Surovic in Texas City, Mark Knipes in Sante Fe, Dean Deatley in Brazoswood, Tony Heath in Pearland (just retired), Eric Wells in Pearland Dawson, and Brian Lane in West Columbia (no longer current).

If you keep up with high school football, all these schools have incredible programs and are playoff contenders each year. Plus, Pearland won the football state championship in 2010.

Coach Weddell not only created quality leader coaches, but, obviously, players as well. Many of his players went on to be successful men in the corporate world.

It doesn’t matter what environment you grew up in or your current status. You have a leadership quality that’s brewing inside your body. You must determine what type of leader you want to project.

How many of you reflect leadership at home, work, youth sports, athletics or simply in everyday life?

In every aspect of your life decisions are being made. Who’s in control or controlling others in a positive direction?

The definition of a leader is the ability to help people achieve things they don’t think possible.

Today is your wake-up call. No more lagging behind and accepting defeat. Pull out your leadership skills and make this world a better place.

 

Inspiration

Lets be extraordinary

By David Tepera, July 19, 2017

There’s much in your lives that seems ordinary because it’s what keeps our stress levels low. For some of you, your ordinary life doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. Just the typical daily grind and routine day after day.

Remember when we were little kids tying towels around our necks pretending to be superheroes? I would run around the yard and jump off the picnic table feeling like I could win the day. No one could defeat me because I was extraordinary.

When I was a high school coach, I would huddle my players and tell them, “I see a lot of ordinary athletes here. How many of you will step up and make this practice extraordinary?” This is where I found team leaders and captains.

It doesn’t matter where you are in life at this moment. You can turn every ordinary situation into something extraordinary.

This could be parenting, as a spouse, at work, diets and exercising, athletes or maybe through volunteering.

You see, it’s possible that your ordinary is a waste of time, so make your hours extraordinary.

Yes, putting more effort into something will take you out of your comfort zone, but the rewards could be life-changing.

For some, trying to discover extraordinary within yourself can be a challenge. Life can knock us down, and we get caught up feeling sorry for ourselves.

It took many setbacks and a tragedy to discover my extraordinary. You must realize hardships are life’s way of forcing you into extraordinary.

For me, when I feel like giving up, I find strength through my late grandmother Frances Tepera. She buried a husband when my dad was an infant, raised five successful children and she only had a seventh-grade education.

I could write a book on grandma’s struggles, and how she would conquer each day. She became our family’s backbone.

So, when you get down on yourself and life, who can you look for strength to become extraordinary?

If you can’t discover that person, then guess what? You are the chosen one. It is you who will teach other family members to fight in this world and create extraordinary into the bloodline.

It’s in you. Go look in the mirror, focus deep into your eyes and soul search. Tell yourself over and over, “I have been chosen to be extraordinary and today the world will see it.”

Now, get out there and be extraordinary. We need you.

Fitness, Inspiration

No time to exercise?

By David Tepera, July 11, 2017

I can’t tell you how many times people have told me, “I don’t have time to exercise.” I try not to roll my eyes because we all know it’s an excuse. I’d rather someone tell me they don’t want to exercise, then I will be more agreeable.

My first question is, “What’s your favorite TV show or shows?” My follow-up statement: “There’s your exercise time slot. Tape the show, and get to the gym.”

Look, if you’re working, have a family, business owner or caring for someone, then yes, you are busy. But, isn’t that all of us? We’ve all found a way to fill up our days and nights. It’s what you chose to fill in those hours.

A new study shows healthy people save a least $2,500 per year over unhealthy lifestyles.

Also, unhealthy people will call in sick for work more often than others and require more doctor’s appointments.

How much do you spend on medication due to health issues? Be honest.

I’m not shaming any of you. We all have bad habits, and demons that haunt us. If you’ve read my column long enough, you know I’m realistic, and my goal is to wake up some of you. I stopped judging people over a decade ago.

Here’s the misconception for people when it comes to gym time. Most people are shocked I spend less than an hour in the gym, especially since I’m a professional physique champion. This includes weight training and cardio, but really, I rarely perform cardio in the gym. I prefer riding my bike on the weekends or evenings now it’s summer season.

The trick to staying healthy is consistency. It’s a rare day that I’m not exercising in some sort of way. When I do train, it’s full-on commitment and concentration. I’m not one who is socializing — until I’m finished. My body gets warmed up and it’s “go time.” I keep my head phones on and bounce from one exercise to the other.

The gym is your time to step away from the grind. When I was married, and the kids were toddlers, my gym time was 5 a.m., then back home to wake everyone up. I didn’t take any time away from my family.

We all have different schedules, find what’s best for you. I know tons of people dedicated and have great workout ethic.

Let today be the day to start a healthier lifestyle. I promise, you’ll develop more energy and love life more than you could imagine. It just works.

Inspiration

There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here

By David Tepera, July 5, 2017

We are all familiar with the word “underdog.” The term originated in the late 19th century when dog fighting was popularized. The losing dog would end up on the bottom, and of course, the winning dog would end on top. Note the term “top dog.” Just know, I do not condone dog fighting and have a strong compassion for all animals.

Recently, I was having a great discussion with a friend of mine about underdogs in different sports and reasons why people root for them. During the discussion, my friend made the comment, “But aren’t we all underdogs?”

How true is that? In every area of our lives, we were once, or are still currently, the underdog. We typically start at the bottom and battle our way up. Every succession accomplished was competing against someone who might have been more skilled.

We’ve all been bullied in school, bullied at work, pushed around in the neighborhood, taken advantage of or not respected at home. This is part of society that’s frustrating, which prompts us to cheer for the underdogs.

Why do you think Sylvester Stalone became a rich and popular man from all the Rocky movies? Because we all want to beat the top dog and punch out the bully.

For all you old fogies like me, a cartoon called “Underdog” ran from 1964 to 1973. It was about a shoeshine boy’s alter ego that would appear when his love interest Sweet Polly Purebread was being victimized by villains. Underdog was an actual dog that wore a cape and had powers.

When Underdog would appear to win the battle, he would yell, “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” Of course, all us little kids used that battle cry in every sandlot game.

Just know, we all have Underdog within us. Sometimes you’ll need to pull out your superpowers and stand up for yourself. If people can’t respect you for all your hard work and kindness, let them know and eliminate them from your social circle.

Next time you’re in a demanding situation, look them straight in the eye and yell, “There is no need to fear, Underdog is here!” I promise, they’ll run away because they’ll think you went bananas.

Inspiration

Doing for others is the greatest reward

by David Tepera, June 28, 2017

I believe one phrase most of us have heard before is, “do things for others and expect nothing in return, and you’ll find the greatest reward.”

I’ve instilled this philosophy in my children their whole lives. I am proud to say that they’ve done a lot of good deeds for others throughout their young lives.

I’m sure there are many of you who do this on a daily basis. This could be from your current occupation, volunteering or just by helping others when the time is needed. I applaud your efforts, and the world is better because of you.

Now, I typically don’t self-promote in my articles, but today, I feel the need to share with you.

I’ve had many emails from readers asking if I’ve published a book. I’m overwhelmed to let you know, that my first book “Keep Moving and Improving” came out a few months ago.

One of the biggest reasons my book is gaining attention is because of the fact that 50 percent of the royalties go to The PTSD Foundation of America and Camp Hope in Houston.

Some of you know, and many do not, but I lost my first-born son Dustin at the age of 23 to complications of PTSD when he returned from war in 2012.

Dustin loved serving his country and the U.S. Army was good to him. It took me a few years to find a way to honor his name, so my book is dedicated to Army Specialist Dustin Ray Tepera.

You can order the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Just type in the title and my name.

Today, I’m reaching out for you to find a way to help and serve others. Your community is in need, and you can make a difference. I promise, you’ll get hooked because it’s the most wonderful feeling to experience.

My mom, Eileen Tepera, has been volunteering at Mainland Hospital for years. She looks forward to each week helping others.

Also, I tip my hat to all you youth coaches. This typically requires a lot of your personal time after a hard days work. You make the biggest impact on kids if they want to continue playing that sport or not.

To borrow a quote I once read, “Never stop doing things for others. Sometimes, those little things occupy the biggest part of their heart.”

Inspiration

Building Confidence is Key

by David Tepera, June 22, 2017

On average, about 6 million people a year will break a bone. In case you didn’t know, it typically takes six to 10 weeks for broken bones to heal. A hard callus will form around the fracture creating a stronger bone than before.

I feel broken bones can be a reflection of our lives. If you’re out in this world giving your best, then you’ll encounter different levels of adversity and tragedy.

Yes, negative situations will hurt and try to break you down, but you must bounce back stronger than before.

As most of us know, just like broken bones, a broken heart will also take time to heal. We will all face the loss of a loved one, but time will mend the temporary hurt. Doctors call this stress-cardiomyopathy.

Also, we must develop thicker skin. There might be someone or others in your life who constantly try to verbally beat you down.

The best way to develop thick skin is by building confidence. Negative comments are powerless when your confidence level is high because you feel good about your natural ability.

Recognize others are weak and not happy with their own lives when they put others down.

Really, as far as sports, referees have the thickest skin imaginable. Think about it, every call they make, half the people in the stands don’t like it.

It’s kind of like being president of the United States, no matter who you are, half the country won’t like you.

Recently, a good friend of mine was thrown into an unexpected divorce. She went into depression for a few days, then decided to switch the situation to life altering. She hired a personal trainer who could also help with diet and has transformed her body into a competitive athlete. My friend is now competing in national bikini contests.

Now, I’m not telling you to take your life to an extreme level of fitness, but I am telling you to attack this world with full effort.

It’s time to stop wishing and start doing. Wake up with determination and go to bed with satisfaction.

Our bodies have an amazing process of healing itself, so no matter what situation your dealing with, make today stronger than yesterday.

Fitness, Inspiration

Who makes you better?

By David Tepera, June 17, 2017

Almost two months ago, a friend of mine, named Tina, was contemplating whether to compete in her first women’s figure contest. After a brief discussion, we agreed for me to help her with training and diet to see how her body would respond.

To my surprise, Tina’s work ethic was top-notch. She gave 100 percent effort and detail to each weight lifting session, along with dieting. So, it was no surprise, Tina was on track to be in competition condition within deadline.

Because of Tina’s dedication, I decided to join her and become training partners during weight lifting sessions because I, too, am competing in the same show.

I’ve trained hundreds of people, but this was the first time someone helped me reach another level. Tina and I both agree, we both make each other better when it comes to elite training.

Now, of course, this made me think about all areas of life for each of us. Who in your life makes you better? It could be a coach, supervisor, pastor, friend or spouse.

My dad, who was a high school football coach for 30-plus years, said it best. He told me that his coaching style was to help players to become successful in life. I’ve had the pleasure of many of his former players telling me that exact message.

I truly believe for partners and spouses to reach ultimate success, you must support and push each other through adversity with passion.

Never settle for the status quo. Remember, this world is constantly changing, so failures and successes are up to you.

Think about your involvement in others’ lives. Do you make their lives better or not? Are you considered needy or supportive?

I’m sure most of us know people who only want partners to pamper them, but bring nothing to the table themselves. Keep in mind, relationships are partnerships, not one-sided.

Besides constantly loving and inspiring my children, I have the humbling platform of being a columnist and motivational speaker to help countless people.

So now, it’s time to step up our game in life. Be the person you want others to be, and let’s make each other’s lives better.

Inspiration

Create your own destiny

By David Tepera, June 14, 2017

In 1987, I was introduced to a new philosophy of thinking by Grandmaster Al Garza. This philosophy has been used by many people to help transfer their lives. Typically, our biggest challenges in life are within ourselves, so I want to share this with you.

There are five components: thoughts, actions, habits, character, destiny.

What are your constant daily thoughts? What do you think about the most? If these thoughts are negative, then your actions will become them, plus you’re probably hanging out with those types of people.

You must recognize when negative thoughts are attacking your mind, and learn to flip them into positive ones. Find the beauty in every situation to develop a peace of mind.

You see, your thoughts will become your actions. When you judge situations and people with an open heart, then you’ll treat others with kindness and respect. When you think of healthy foods and exercise, then your body will respond at its best.

How many of you hit the local bar after work instead of going to the gym? How many of you have the need to smoke tobacco after each meal?

Why not flip your actions to improve your life?

Once you’re able to create positive actions on a daily basis, they will develop into habits.

Our habits are really a reflection of our lifestyle. Why be destructive to ourselves? Believe me, once you start developing a positive mind and making better choices, then your quality of life will become amazing.

These habits will determine your character. People see you as the person you portray. Not only others, but how do you treat yourself?

I’ve made countless mistakes throughout life, but I don’t beat myself up over it anymore. I let it go and make today better than yesterday.

My character became more important because not only did I want others to respect me, but I needed to be happy with myself. I love the man I’ve become, and you’ll learn to love yourself, too.

Remember, your character will determine your destiny. The beauty is you can start a new destiny today. Don’t worry what happened yesterday because today is the beginning of the new you.

Inspiration

You can change the world

By David Tepera, June 7, 2017

Like all seniors this year, my son Dylan graduated high school. Many parents cried at the ceremony because it means their childhood is over. All the years of recitals, sports, activities and etc. are over.

Of course, not every child had great experiences while growing up in public schools. Maybe you felt like an outsider and different from the stereotypical normal popular kids.

Well guess what? That’s the cool part of the adult world. We do not need the ‘Same ol- same-ol.’ This is an exciting time for you because you should never want to be normal.

My kids and I applaud those children who chose to dress differently and live a different way of life, which gave them confidence. However, this pertains to those who treated others with kindness and respect.

Your future has started. How do you see yourself and what’s the end result? Today, start taking steps toward reaching positive goals of success, health and happiness.

Many high school graduates might be unsure of which direction to turn, and my best advice is to start internally. I promise if you begin with a healthy lifestyle, meet friendly people, then an opportunity will cross your path.

It is time to stop having fried foods and excessive sugars. You should start a new exercise program to help them see their life transforming. Your mind will think clearer, your body will fill with energy and your spirit will soar.

The adult path will have many challenges, but those experiences are important. You will get knocked down, blindsided and sucker punched, but get back up because those temporary setbacks will guide you to success.

I am almost 56 years old, and my tragedies help me become a better person, father and friend. Some situations hurt,  but it help me learn to love all mankind and myself.

Don’t ever give up on your story because what you strive to be is what you become. You have a purpose in life, and it is right outside the door waiting for you. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, ‘Alright world, look out because here I come.’

If you change yourself, then you’ll change the world.

Inspiration

All or nothing

By David Tepera, May 31, 2017

The definition of “all or nothing” is having no middle position or compromise. You’re either in or out. Remember, we are all born with a fight-or-flight mechanism. It’s in all of us. I promise you’ll use it in a panicking situation.

Think about it. All or nothing can be used in every aspect of our lives.

Of course, for all you athletes, you must take on the mentality of giving your best, not only in games, but practice as well. Practicing all or nothing will develop into habits, which will be obvious during game time.

Russell Westbrook, point guard for Oklahoma Thunder basketball team, is a great example. This guy only knows one speed, and that’s full throttle. He is one of the most compelling players in the NBA.

How many of you are married or in a monogamous relationship? Do you treat your spouse with respect when you’re out in the world? Do you present yourself as someone who is in a strong loving relationship, or still playing the field?

How would you feel if your spouse was acting the way you are? Is this good or bad? Be honest.

Today is the day you’ll come home and tell your spouse how much you appreciate them. Hold them close and tight, so they feel your warmth and sincerity.

What about at work? Do you come late and leave early? Are you the employee that tries to do as little as possible, or someone whom everyone can count on to get the job done?

Believe me, people know if you’re a slacker or not, and if you are replaceable.

It’s summer weather and are you still being lazy and eating junk food or taking on the lifestyle of health and fitness?

When it comes to health, you must stay on a steady pace. Fad diets will only depress and destroy you mentally because it’s a temporary fix.

Come on now, it’s time to stop being mediocre or half-in. Whatever your situation is, take the mentality of all-in. Give all tasks determination and relationships respect.

Not just show everyone your best, but do it for you. I promise your life will go in a positive direction and unnecessary stress will delete itself.

So now, what’s your character? Are you all or nothing?