Give Thanks

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving. My family drove up from southern Oregon to meet with my wife and in-laws in the Salem area. We had a nice meal with entirely too much food (kudos on the chocolate cake, mom!), a great breakfast the next morning, and even braved some Black Friday shopping. I worked on Saturday and spent a good deal of my afternoon working on my car on Sunday, so the weekend was pretty busy...but not busy enough to keep me from reflecting on the things I am most thankful for this year.

1. I am thankful for my wife, first and foremost. A year ago we weren't even engaged, but we were about to be! She is amazing, and she keeps me grounded when I need it the most. I cherish your love and support.

2. I am thankful for my family and friends. Those who are closest to me continue to support me in achieving my dream of becoming relevant in the fitness industry, not just with my clients, but within the field itself as a genuine contributor of knowledge and expertise.

3. I am thankful for my job. My current place of work has been a tremendous platform to continue learning. I have gained incredible training and business management experience since moving to Mota in January of last year, for which I am very thankful. I am thankful to the owners for taking a chance on me and giving the the opportunity to shine.

4. I am thankful for a resilient (yet extremely stubborn) body. I'm only 25, but I don't think it would be wrong to assume I have dealt with enough acute and chronic injuries in the last 7 years than most people will deal with in their lifetime. I am thankful that God has given me a second (third, fourth, fifth) chance to rebuild my body to the point where I am stronger, faster, and more balanced than I have ever been in my life. After hamstring tears, hip impingements, low back derangements, then a shoulder impingement and cervical and thoracic issues that were giving me headaches 24/7, I thought it wouldn't end.

Fast forward to today, I feel 85-90% healed. I can do almost every activity I would like to, but not quite. But the cool thing is my body is continuing to heal, and for the first time in 7 years I can honestly say that I can see the path and the light to becoming "pain free". This brings me to my next one...

5. I am thankful for being blessed with an incredible "Never Say Die" attitude. I am the most stubborn (excuse my French) bastard you will ever meet, I'm pretty sure. They said I needed surgery on my hamstring and would never run again. They said I shouldn't be able to run fast because of my extreme foot pronation and bad scoliosis. They said "bla bla" but I took that as a challenge. As Barney Stinson would say, "Challenge accepted"!

6. I am thankful for my intangibles. My life experiences have taught me that if I want something, I have to put the work in to earn it. Nothing has ever been handed to me, and I am thankful for that. The people I have met along the way, the places I've been, the experiences I've had--they have all helped to shape me in to the person I am today. I am thankful for all of these things.

7. I am thankful for my clients and coworkers. Without them, I would not have the opportunity to hone my skills on a daily basis.

8. I am thankful for what is to come. The future is bright. I work in a fledgling industry which has yet to develop "norms" and "systems" to manage quality, which is good and bad. The positive part of that is that I am in 100% control of my own quality as a trainer, a coach, and as an athlete.

9. Lastly, (I know, I'm stopping at 9, but I'm out of ideas here...) I am thankful for God and the wisdom his teachings have brought me.