4 Ways to Be Awesome

Before I share today's lesson, I'd like to talk about a special person who is no longer here with us.

On this day in 2022, our sweet Sarah Ann Carswell went to be with the Lord after a difficult battle with cancer. My family recently celebrated her life with a memorial service.

Sarah is Coach Sharon's mom and has always treated me like a son. She and Sharon were the best of friends and talked often.

Last time we spoke was on my 50th birthday, about two weeks before she entered Heaven.

On the phone that day Sarah said that she was really grateful that I joined the family, which is about the greatest compliment a mother-in-law could ever give her son-in-law.

She and Steve were middle-school sweethearts and had been married for over 50 years.

They had a special relationship with my parents, which was highlighted by a trip to Italy’s Tuscany region several years ago. In Italy, my parents and Sharon's parents enjoyed meals together, had some wine, and many laughs. Sarah told me it was one of the highlights of her life.

She’s definitely watching over us with a smile. Thank you for your continued prayers for Steve, her husband, her kids, Shannon, Steven, and Sharon. And her 10 amazing grandchildren too.

Sarah taught me so much about what it means to be a good human. She taught me about the importance of having grit and being loyal.

She was always present and in the moment when having a conversation with someone. She listened closely and provided words of wisdom.

Sarah would hug on our children, Giavanna and George, and give them the love and attention that only elite grandmothers can give. She and Steve created an amazing legacy and I'm proud to be a part of that.

Most notably was her relationship with God. She was a believer and prayer warrior, always lifting up others.

Fred McFeely Rogers, aka Mister Rogers, embodied the concept of leading by example. In many ways, Sarah and Mister Rogers were kindred spirits.

I'll share a few quotes from Mister Rogers, that remind me of things Sarah would say:

• "There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind."
• "Try your best to make goodness attractive. That's one of the toughest assignments you'll ever be given."
• "Real strength has to do with helping others."
• "The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self."
• "There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth."

If you've ever lost a loved one, my hope is you'll find encouragement in these words. If you could keep our family in your prayers, especially today, that would be sincerely appreciated.

Okay, back to the lesson. Let me ask you something. It’s a tough one.

Will your body and lifestyle stand the test of time?

See, it’s a difficult question, because everybody wants to answer "yes."

Yet the truth for most is a definitive "no."

You’ve seen the harrowing statistics about how 66% of Americans are overweight or obese.

You can probably list dozens of family, friends, and associates who are struggling as a result of too much bodyfat.

Not really living the life they want. Just existing.

So, knowing this, how do you give yourself the best chance of success?

4 Ways to Be Awesome

Results are important. Paying attention to them is how we measure success.

It could be a number on the scale, your clothes fitting better, or a new personal record on your favorite resistance-training exercise.

And while it’s important to celebrate those victories, it’s far more important to understand and appreciate what makes those results possible.

It’s taking imperfect action and doing the work. It's daily commitment to the process with repetition.

What propels you forward? It's the small steps that you take every day, and the simple things, because results only follow the action.

Consistent, small actions that add up over time. Think about it this way: If you want to lose 30 pounds, you can’t do that safely in one day.

But you can drink 16 ounces more water than you did yesterday.

You can get one more hour of sleep than you did yesterday.

You can get lean protein with one more meal than you did yesterday.

You can lift five more pounds or do one more rep than you did last week.

So yes, celebrate your results and your accomplishments.

But better yet, celebrate the small daily habits that move you closer to what you desire.

The results you want are only the product of the work you put in.

I think it really starts with a these four things:

1. You must do great work

This really is the foundation of it all. We talked about expending energy and doing work; however, if you do great work everything else becomes easier.

Your job, your relationships, your satisfaction with life, and absolutely everything gets better with great work.

But let’s face it, most people don’t do great work. They do average work.

And that’s largely why they don’t pass the test of time.

2. You must know who you are

You must also know your shortcomings.

Self-awareness is pretty important. Knowing what your strengths are, and playing to them, gives you a massive advantage in life.

But that requires accepting that NOT everything is your strength.

3. You must know why you’re here

Why were you were born?

You see, I believe I was born to serve others. To help others get healthy.

And that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. Everything I do to keep myself healthy is so I can serve others better...

...my wife, my children, my family, my clients (who I consider an extension of my family).

Because if I were fat, sick, and out-of-shape—most folks would not take me seriously as a fitness coach.

I also would not have the boundless energy required to excel in my day-to-day activities.

Not to go too far off my message today, but ask yourself these serious questions:

• What does your physical stature say about you?
• Do you look young and healthy and able to handle whatever life throws at you?
• Do you look old and sickly... unable to handle the everyday challenges of life?

If your appearance is not what you want it to be, now is the time to make a positive change.

Remember you can slow aging. You can lose weight. You can boost energy.

4. You must be able to see past the surface

This is one that so few actually "get.’"

When it comes to your health, the "surface" is the tools we use, like dumbbells or that weird electronic wristband you wear which measures calories and everything else. It's not about your hi-tech running sneakers with little springy gel pockets in the heels either.

The fads and trends that come and go. Just during the time that I’ve been in the fitness-and-nutrition coaching world, I’ve seen all of the following have their moment in the sun:

• Training one bodypart per week
• Nautilus training
• One set to failure
• Super-slow training
• High-volume training
• Functional training
• Insanity training at home
• High carb
• Low carb
• Paleo
• Stability balls
• Kettlebells
• BOSU balls
• Jazzercize
• Stairmasters
• Outdoor bootcamps
• Zumbla
• CrossFitness
• HIIT
• Long slow cardio

The list could go on and on. And some of these are thriving right now.

Perhaps some of these will stand the test of time. I’m not smart enough to be able to predict the future, but what I can tell you is that you don't need to focus on the differences. That’s just the surface stuff.

Instead concentrate on the similarities.

What commonalities can you find between those things that have created success - and especially those that continue to deliver success:

• Accountability
• Great coaching
• Training smart 4x per week
• Following a proven nutrition plan
• Achieving measurable results
• Tracking everything from week-to-week and making daily corrections
• Hanging around supportive people. You know, the ones who have your best interests in mind
• Ditching the naysayers in your world. (The "crabs" and "energy vampires")
• Being mindful of nutrition and writing it down. Not just ignoring what you do when it comes to nutrition. For example, pretending spoonful-after-spoonful of peanut butter in front of the TV is actually only 1 tablespoon.

• Getting a good night's sleep
• Having a positive mindset

Those sorts of things are what long-term success is built on.

See, for me, I’ve got a pretty good idea that I’ll be coaching 10 years from now.

I was coaching 10 years ago. And 10 years before that.

What tools I’ll use, who knows? What variables will have changed?

Well, that’s hard to say. But I’ll be coaching.

Because coaching will stand the test of time, that I’m sure.

So I’ll build around that and do my best to do great work.

That’s a strong foundation to build on, the type of foundation that you and I both need to build the bodies and lives that we want.

Because, let’s face it...

It's easier to do a little work each day to maintain your health. Versus doing nothing and then feeling sad when the doctor tells you that you have some obesity-related preventable issue.

So as you think about the body that you have… and the body that you want, put some time into considering what type of foundation you’re built on.

And, more importantly, what type of foundation will give you the best chance to succeed both today and 10 years from today.

Start there and build from the inside out.

Do that and your health will likely stand the test of time.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women lose weight, gain strength, and slow aging. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to increase longevity with the best online age-management program, or you want to visit the best age-management program in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.