Veteran's Day

Since Veteran's Day is forthcoming, I'll take a moment to pause and reflect on that as opposed to fitness. As Americans we should pause and reflect on what our Veterans mean to us and think about whatever family and friends you have that were Veterans.

When I talk to many Veterans of the Vietnam war and earlier wars, they often admire the Veterans of the War on Terror, but we often admire them more. I believe they endured more hardships, and for that, I admire them. I also admire our Vietnam Veterans because they came home to less than favorable conditions and without love and support from the public. Those same Veterans have vowed that they would not let it happen to us, and have done many things to take care of the Veterans of younger wars. For that, I am forever grateful to them.

I have been asked what it is that I reflect on as a Veteran. I will say, with Thanksgiving coming on as well, I reflect on things that I am grateful for. The thing I am most grateful for as a Veteran is that I am here, I'm alive. I have many friends and comrades that cannot say the same. They were not only soldiers, but fathers, sons, brothers and in some cases sisters. When we lose a soldier, we also lose a great American who saw fit to serve something greater than himself. When thinking back on the trials and tribulations, there are several things I reflect on.....I'll share some so that people understand some things a soldier at war deals with....

-I remember the countless "brothers" I have made through the sacrifices and hardships of being in the Army. We own a bond that civilian friends cannot know nor understand. We are the few and proud who can still claim being straight, yet have shared a sleeping bag with another man because we would have frozen otherwise. lol

-I think back on the blessings of having learned many valuable skills for free, many life saving skills that I have worked hard to pass on to others. I think about how much I've enjoyed being on shooting ranges and in shoot houses with the lovely smell of gunpowder and lead....and getting paid for it. I remember having great soldiers who I still talk to and loved my time serving with them. The blessing of having served with some of the military's more elite units up the most elite units is another high point.

-I think about talking to a Lieutenant about how cute his 6 month old son was on the day we left for Iraq, only to see his lifeless body a couple weeks later. Having to walk by body bags that hold your friends and still go on about your business is a tough thing.

-I think about the families that take on the hardships of their spouses or parents career and respect those that honor the service and stay faithful and true waiting on their loved one's return. I feel sorrow for those that never get to see their loved one return.

-I remember the times of terror and adrenaline like coming around a corner only to be face to face with "bad guys" who have guns aimed at you, only they weren't fast enough, nor was their aim true enough. I remember carrying a friend to a medevac chopper in the middle of the night, not being able to recognize his torn face but hoping I'll see him again. Or bandaging a comrade's gaped open leg wounds from an rpg round that was close, but nearer to him than me......and the humbleness of being able to chuckle about it later.

-I think about the love and support I have received from my family and how without them, many things wouldn't be possible. I think of my father, who is a Vietnam Veteran, and a hero in his own right for going to serve when many were forced and many did not. I think about my daughter and hope that she will one day be able to see the things I've done and the sacrifices I've made for her and she will be as proud of me as I am of her for enduring it.

-I think also of my friends who are firefighters, paramedics, emts, policemen, or any other public service that serves a cause higher than theirself.

-I think of my friends who are deployed and pray for their safe return.

-Most of all I think of the great Americans who paved the way for our freedom.......Veterans. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and those who came home safe to lead fruitful lives.

There are many great and sad memories I have, those are just a few. I am not scarred by these memories, these were events that have been a part of my life. I do not have PTSD, but I hope the best for those who do. Some things just affect people differently than others. God blessed me with the ability to handle many things in stride. So on Veteran's day, think about all you have and all that you enjoy as an American. Thank a Veteran and if given the chance, learn from them what it's like. Show your support in whatever way you can. I respect those who were never able to serve, but show their support. When you wake up in the morning and walk across your clean, carpeted floor to a toilet 10 feet away......be thankful...there are many service members who are in dusty tents and have to get fully dressed in gear to walk 30 yards away to a nasty port-a-potty. When you see the sunshine, when you eat a good meal, when you buy something you've been wanting.....when you feel the love of your spouse, parents or children....be thankful...because there are many people who can no longer do that because they gave their lives in service of their country.

Not to offend anyone who hasn't served or been to war.....I just love this quote.

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. ...The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." -19th Century English philosopher John Stuart Mill

Goals = Motivation

“The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.” Denis Watley

“If you’re bored with life — you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things — you don’t have enough goals.” Lou Holtz

So this blog will be about two things; goals and motivation. To me, the two compliment each other. If you have goals to achieve, then working towards them should be your motivation to do what is necessary to reach those goals. You can have short term, long term, or both kinds of goals. The key is that you must have goals in order to successfully and efficiently achieve what it is that you want.

When setting goals, you must remember to make them achievable. For example, I want to gain 20 pounds, so realizing that's a lofty goal....I settle for a 10 pound gain in a certain time period. Once I reach that goal, when I'm ready, I'll set another goal for 10 more pounds. Scale your goals back to make them easier to attain through "stepping stones". If you don't have goals, then you have nothing to work for. If you don't have a legitimate goal and plan of action, you will most likely be more talk than anything else. I hear tons of people who say "I want to get in shape", but have no plan or real intentions to work toward that goal.

You can tell yourself all day long, "I want to lose weight", but unless you actually set goals for yourself to work towards, you won't be successful. I suggest using a calendar, notebook, or document on the computer to write down your goals and any plans to achieve them. Set "checkpoints" for yourself to achieve to let you know you're making good progress towards your goal. Plan your path to reaching your goal as much as you can and it will help you along the way. If your goal is to run a marathon, you're not going to go out and run 20 miles your first day, you're going to want to start easier. Maybe even start as low as 2 miles. Just make sure to scale your plan for reaching your goal accordingly. Expect possible set-backs, they do happen. If you have any set-backs to your plan or achieving your goal just adapt and overcome, but never give up.

Timeline, timeline, timeline. You need to set a timeline for achieving your goal. If you do not have a timeline, you will not be very efficient at achieving your goal and may not be successful. Again, it needs to be realistic. Do not make your timeline too hard. Better to make it easier than harder. If you make it too hard and don't achieve it, you will loose motivation. If you make it easier and achieve it ahead of time, you will feel that much better about yourself.

The most important step is the first one. All you have to do is get started and turn it into habit. Most people fail at reaching their goals because they don't make the practice of working towards them habit. If it's part of your daily or weekly routine, it's much easier to do without a lot of effort. Again, make yourself take that first step! It's always the toughest to take!

So now that you have a goal set, you also have motivation. Your motivation should come from wanting to achieve the goal you have set for yourself. There are many ways to motivate yourself. One way I have recommended to a female I helped that wanted to lose weight was to go to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap bathing suit that was the size she wanted to be and take a picture of herself in it. She wasn't trying to loose a whole lot, so she could get it on. You can do the same thing even if it won't fit on, just have it there to know you want to fit in it. Take pics of your progress, or if it doesn't fit, then keep trying to get it to fit. The key is to stay positive. Just because your progress may seem slow, don't get down on yourself. That is just one example of motivation used by someone I knew and helped. By the way, it worked for her, and she was thrilled when she finally made it to her goal.

Immediate forms of motivation may be something like music. I have a playlist on my ipod specifically for workout music. You can throw on "Monster" by Skillet or "Game On" by Disciple and I'm ready to workout anytime, anywhere. Know yourself. Find whatever gets you going and helps you crank up and use it. If it's a picture of the beach because you know you want to look good for bathing suit season next year, use that. More importantly, if it's seeing your child, knowing you want to be in better shape to be able protect your children if the need arises or just to be healthier for their sake, use it.

So again, if you have a goal to work towards, that should equal motivation for you to do the work. The thing I want to stress is having goals. If you don't have legitimate goals and a plan to achieve those goals, then you're just "spinning your wheels". In the end, it's you that has to look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of what you've done or just be happy idling your way through life. I believe you should constantly strive to learn and make yourself better.....so set your goal, make your plan, make a timeline, and get up and do it!