Lessons Learned

All four of these guys were my coaches and each of them had a major impact on my life. The list of lessons learned from them is too long to write. But the lessons went well beyond the field. The majority of their teachings were to prepare us for real life:

being part of something bigger than yourself

dealing with hardships

sacrifice

always conducting yourself properly

Full Circle

My life has come full circle, I recently became my daughter’s assistant soccer coach. Although these girls might just be 7 years old, it’s never too early to learn what it takes to succeed on and off the field.

How I got so lucky to have these guys in my life I will never know. But I thank them because their teachings and examples are about to be passed on to another generation!

People love to post photos and videos of themselves crushing their workouts or lifting a crazy amount of weight. But it’s important to remember the truth - that did not happen a few short weeks or even a couple of months ago. Do not forget the day-to-day grind that these folks endured that resulted in the final product.

Hard work, sacrifice, and dedication need to be in your arsenal of tools to get the results you desire. But rarely do people share the photos of the journey they took to get to their Adonis state. They are not posting photos of themselves lifting puny weights, running slowly and wheezing to catch their breath, or showing off their bloated stomachs.

This gets back to what drives me crazy about social media…perception and reality are two separate and very different beasts entirely. So next time you look through your Facebook or Instagram feed, be cognizant that you are seeing someone’s highlight reel, not the bloopers and missteps they encountered along the way. STOP comparing yourself to what others are doing and just enjoy your own progress and who you are. Need some extra help with this? Read this article I wrote for myfitnesspal back in July, and pay particular attention to #2.

Image credit: Alia Wilhelm on Unsplash

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | Lessons Passed On

Thank You

Lessons Learned

Full Circle