You may want to refer back to last week’s article on how getting strong eliminated entitlement. A couple generations ago, this lesson didn’t need to get taught like it does now. Protective parenting, the normalcy of obesity, and massive reduction in the amount of kids playing sports is leading to millions of kids turning into adults that don’t understand how to persevere through adversity and that your work ethic is part of your value to society. Whether you learned this lesson long ago or haven’t yet, fitness can teach you this lesson, or remind you of this lesson, because it doesn’t come easy. It must be earned, and you’ll be a better person for the earning.

This is likely literal as much as it figurative. Not only will you walk taller because you possess better posture and balance throughout your musculature, but more importantly, you are going to walk with confidence and pride, not only about how you look, but because of the effort it took to look how you look. People will treat you differently because of how tall you walk, and this may even lead to more opportunities in your life just because you are fit. Don’t believe me, do some research on who earns more, fit people or obese people? I think you know the answer without even needing to research it. Why is this? It’s likely multi-factorial; however, the mental sharpness, confidence, and pride in yourself that comes from earning your fitness is pure gold.

Perhaps this a reason for why people who are fit tend to earn more? Perhaps not, but when someone takes care of themselves in the realm of health and fitness, it shows, literally. You don’t have to tell people how much you workout or eat healthy, they will see it on you already, and that discipline is a desirable quality that others want. Employers want it, friends want it, the opposite sex wants it, and guess what!? Everyone can have it, but it takes discipline, and yours is always on display. 

Give me a bunch of disciplined folks who don’t have as much talent versus a group of undisciplined and talented folks, and we’ll dominate you every day of the week.  

Your fitness can take you places that you can only dream of in your mind. Your fitness will also limit you from going places that you can only dream of in your mind. Some people dream of being great grandma and grandpas and playing with their grandchildren. Other people dream of playing in the Olympics. Yet others want to be able to hike to the top of that mountain. 

Whatever the dream may be, nobody, and I mean nobody dreams of the couch. “Gee, I can’t wait until I can just lay on the couch, and then lay on the couch some more.” Life isn’t meant to be spent on the couch. You can rationalize your reasons for doing so all you want, but in the recesses of your heart, you desire adventure, and fitness can take you there.

Of course everyone knows that guy or gal who lived a healthy lifestyle to a “t” and died prematurely from a heart attack or cancer. And for some reason, that gives some people a rationale to just “yolo it” with their health and fitness. Eat everything, drink everything, smoke everything, and experiment with anything, because after all, you only live once. But these people live lives slaves to their addictions and slaves to incapable bodies that were designed for more. 

But the truth is, most people who prioritize their health and fitness, do in fact live longer. Not only do they live longer, but they live better. They accomplish more, see more, do more, serve more, and who knows, love more? Because isn’t valuing the one vehicle the Lord gave you a form of self-love in the first place? 

My hopes are that this short article causes you to pause and reflect on your fitness destination for you life. I fully realize the potential for being offended by some of this, but I challenge you to first ask, “am I offended, or convicted?”