Fit for Life: Be Grateful

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Matt Espeut, Health and Lifestyle Contributor

 

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You may be feeling a little battle fatigued these days, with the abnormal way we have been conducting our lives, but if you take a minute to reflect on the situation, you will realize that we are encountering first world problems, and still have a lot to be grateful for.

The virus did kill more than 300,000 people in this country, and the friends and families of those victims are no doubt feeling the loss, and are grieving, however, those of us that didn’t come down with the virus or lose someone, are experiencing problems that will be solved in a matter of a few more months.

Many businesses will be forced to shut their doors from the huge monetary losses, and nobody is exempt from this.

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Big and small, we are all feeling the financial impact from this, but when you take money out of the equation, you will realize we still have a lot to be grateful for. (Remember, the money is still in circulation, but we may need to find new ways to get it)

I used GRATITUDE as an acronym to write this article and give you a little summary of why we should still be focusing on the positive attributes’ life has to offer.

 

G - Great things will happen when this is over. If you were smart, you used this time to un-clutter your life, take care of your health and fitness and trim the fat. You got rid of unnecessary expenses and had the perfect opportunity to avoid all the negative people in your life without needing to make excuses. This is a fresh start on so many levels. Use this as a learning experience, and a chance to do some things over that weren’t working out in your favor.

 

R - Resourceful people will shine the most while folks that weren’t willing to adapt and roll with the situation will get crushed. If you completely put your life on hold for nine months, then you are in trouble. Your finances are taking a hit, and if you stopped working out and stress ate, then your health will be an uphill battle also. Resourceful means finding ways to continue your mission and journey even when the situation isn’t ideal.

 

A- Attitudes really came to the surface throughout this whole situation, and a lot of people showed their true colors. Some rose to the occasion, and some got bitter, resentful, and played victim the whole time. We have a strong community at Providence Fit Body Boot Camp and our team created an atmosphere where people could receive positive vibes and post their victories daily. Never any negative banter within our group, and I am grateful to have such a great core of people by my side throughout this.

 

T- Tremendous sense of accomplishment when this is over. My team worked tirelessly to provide an environment where members could stay fit and healthy without missing a beat. I commend my team and community for working through this, and if you conquered, then give yourself some credit for all that you accomplished too. When times are good, our routines are easy, but make it through a tough time, and you become bulletproof.

 

I- Instinct-fully pivoted and survived.  Like everyone else, I have doubts that this will ever end, as well as doubts that my business would survive when it’s over. I am willing to give it my all but am uncertain that will be enough. My goal was to stay positive, keep my team on fire, and my members happy, regardless of what happens. We are still not out of the weeds yet, however by all of us using our instincts we have the ability to pivot and move in a different direction when needed.

 

T- Trust in political leaders. NOT. This situation makes or breaks leaders. Ones that can get people to bond together are great, ones that intentionally try to divide people for their own best interest, not so good. Both parties are to blame, but trust in our leadership on all levels has diminished. Use this as proof that we are on our own, and the government will not save us. They may throw us a bone with some stimulus money, but the agenda isn’t to improve the way of life for the American people, it’s for them to gain power in their parties. So be grateful that our well-being doesn’t hinge on one person, and we still live in a land where democracy rules and we have the ability and freedom to control our own destiny.

 

U- Under the gun to re-open. Again, the team is rallying and pumped for the next chapter. We know the situation will be less than ideal, however we will do what it takes to open and serve our members within the guidelines that are in place. I was on the governors call for gyms, and all the gym owners did was complain in the chat box. We are all under the gun, so let’s rally and do what it takes to move on. The rules will make things difficult, but there are always solutions if we are willing to improvise, adapt, and overcome.

 

D- Dedication and commitment. So many people went above and beyond to make things work by being dedicated and committed to showing up every day. Its times like this that make you feel grateful for all the good people in the world that are willing to make sacrifices to improve someone else’s situation. To all the front-line workers that exposed themselves on a daily basis, to the teachers that had to develop their curriculums on the fly and teach virtually, to the supermarket workers that stayed in the game, we thank you for your commitment.

 

E- Excellence was the goal, not perfection. This was a tough one, as I always drive myself crazy trying to seek perfection. We never settled for good enough, but we weren’t stressing out when we did something wrong. We just course corrected and moved on. The goal was to provide resources for our members, and we overdelivered. Based on our recent surveys, all the members were happy and satisfied with how we handled the situation.

 

So now it’s on to the next chapter.

Providence Fit Body Boot Camp will hopefully reopen its doors again under strict guidelines, but we will find ways to prevail.

Things will be different, and we will be facing new challenges and obstacles, but pain, suffering, and feeling uncomfortable is what sparks growth.

Adversity is like working out, the more you do it, the better you get at it. It NEVER gets EASIER; we just get better at handling tough situations.

So, on the other side of a pandemic that crippled our country’s economy, and took 300,00 lives, it’s tough to find light unless you open your blinds.

Take a minute and think of all the things we still have to be grateful for.

Your health, your family, and the chance to start over are all things that can’t be overlooked, and the fact that despite our state of politics, we still live in the greatest nation in the world.

Happy Holidays to you and your family.

 

Committed to your success,

Matt

 

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