Don't settle for average

   One of my favorite pieces of advice that I ever got from my dad was to not settle for average in life.  "Average is either the top of the bottom or the bottom of the top," he would say.  To give you a bit of background on history on my attempts to not be average I go back to all of the activities that my parents allowed me to participate in including: chorus, tennis, baseball, basketball, fishing, drawing, and many other activities that I in fact was average at best in.  I do want to focus on one hobby in particular though.   I was a boy scout when I was younger and learned some great things that help me to this day.  For instance, tying a slip knot is something that I usually put into practice a couple times a year and starting a fire with a flint stick may have never come in handy but I do have a fire pit that I light all the time (with a lighter).  Of all of my boy scout memories, the 1992 pinewood derby is still one that haunts me to this day.  Perhaps my fiercest attempt at greatness, dad and I spent hours in "Brother Ken's" wood shop perfecting the weight of my car and cutting the angles to get the car as aerodynamic as possible.  Being a stickler for how things look, I of course had to have my car painted with colors that complimented each other and as anyone who knows me well can attest to the fact that I love logos so I had symmetrically placed logos on my little wooden masterpiece. 

  The night of the derby, I was a little nervous but felt as good as I ever had about the car my father had constructed with little help from me (that is actually the case).  Several rounds into the derby and I was up for the first place race!  My competition, none other than Bart Lynch.  A tall, smart, far too mature for his age fellow with a father that "helped" him make his car but also had the convenient position of judging the winner of each race.  We placed our car at the top of the track and waited for the green light.  I felt like all I needed was the first call trumpet played at the Kentucky Derby or a "Gentlemen...Start...Your...Engines!!!"  I settled for the green light and off we went.  Down the quarter mile track...let me pause at this point to remind you that this is my recollection of a memory that happened when I was in 3rd grade approximately so it is probably best to say that this account is "based on a true story"...down the tracks we came like horses in the final stretch of the Belmont Stakes...neck in neck it seemed like the finish line was moving farther away from us by the second.  Finally, the finish line and my car crosses first...and the winner is...Bart Lynch?!!!  I still to this day don't know what happened that night to my little derby dream.  Perhaps dad didn't want to tell me that I truly had lost or perhaps he just didn't want to confront Bart's dad and give me my "Its just a game" speech yet (spoiler alert: that story may just be the finale to my fathers day week blogging).  Whatever it was, I know that with the help of my dad I had never been so proud of something in my life.  We (he) worked so hard on that little car that I was sure was a winner that the outcome of that race still disappoints me to this day. 

     My epic failure that night wasn't the last of my life to this point however.  I didn't make the basketball team my 7th grade year (sound familiar?...Michael Jordan?...), was a pretty good baseball player but never got drafted, played a mean recorder but never got signed, and tried my hardest to start a baseball card shop but never made it out of my treehouse.  I tried many things to the best of my ability because my dad had challenged me to never settle for average.  Did I end up average in alot of things? Sure I did. I also excelled at a few things. 

     The point I am trying to make is that too many people settle for less than they deserve whether it be jobs, levels of education, social interaction, traveling, friends they associate with, etc.  My main concern with writing this particular blog is improving personal health.  No one deserves to settle for average or less than average health.  Too many people just want the easy way to get in shape or just neglect fitness all together.  Whether its belts that tone your abs or creams that burn fat, you will never achieve the fitness level you deserve if you settle for less.  My dad always taught me to set goals for myself no matter if those goals are to win the pinewood derby or to lose 5 pounds.  I believe that everyone should set goals that you want to achieve.  Don't worry with whether or not you accomplish every goal that you reach, focus on the process.  If your goal is to lose 50 pounds don't settle for 25 but don't give up if you only get 40.  Challenge yourself everyday with your workouts and also with eating.  Cut out something that you know you eat too much of  or add something to your diet that you know you don't get enough of.  Push yourself and don't settle for average...