I have consistently worked out in a gym 75 minutes a day, 6 days a week, for the past 45 years. First International Fitness, then Westside Barbell, then Gold’s, World Gym, LA Fitness, EOS, Mountainside, and a slew of others both locally and across the country. But consistently: 75 minutes, 6 days a week. And it all started with one “first step”, one visit by a hesitant young man who knew that he could make a change to be better.
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Like many, the road sometimes got pretty rocky, having to start from the beginning after an injury or surgery, but always restarting with that one universal truth, the first step… and then another, and another.
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The discipline and peace that fitness has brought me is exponential in every aspect of life, whether it’s raising strong, moral children of integrity, being mom’s caregiver for a decade, being a good husband, or being an ethical businessman and civic leader in Rotary, professional associations, and other charities. Its structure and commitment has influenced every single aspect of my life, each requiring a brave first step.
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Each year the first week of January brings in hordes of New Year’s Resolution members to the gym. They crowd every corner of every gym, most without a solid plan or a sustainable, realistic goal… just the passion to improve themselves. Sadly, by February 1st most people have already given up that passion, return to their old ways, and we never see 90% of them ever again.
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Please, we encourage you :
This year, NOW, be the 10%.
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Whatever you need to wrestle with, whether it’s faith, fitness, debt, drinking, smoking, relationships, make this THE year that you have a solid plan, stay on course, ask others for guidance, and that you break free of mediocrity. The first three words in the Bible are, ‘In the beginning…’ (Genesis 1:1) Make this YOUR Beginning.
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I promise you that most everyone else in that meeting, church service, gym, or at that dreaded healthcare appointment has been through what you’re feeling. You are never alone. There are armies of us there willing and happy to support you… wherever you’re at in your personal journey.
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C.S. Lewis said it best:
‘You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’
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Lord, I thank you for this promise for the new year – that, in Jesus, you are with me. You have blessed me abundantly with compassion, unimaginable physical and emotional strength, and a heart to serve… (still working on that humility thing though) 😲
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Guide each person reading this to surrender the old way and fully embrace that 2026 is their “Genesis.”
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And Lord, help us, our families, friends, and peers to continue to focus our lives on you, to continue to love, mentor, and care for each other in the year ahead.
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A Healthy and Happy New Year to All
