I awaken every morning these days feeling rather uncomfortable as a fitness coach and owner of Fernandes Fit LLC.
And I’m more than OK with that. I want that feeling.
I would be concerned if I wasn’t. Deep down inside, I would know something is wrong.
I imagine the look on this random young kid’s face is similar to the look some of you are giving me right now…as if I suddenly sprouted 6 more heads right in front of your eyes.
You may be thinking, “What the $&^# is this guy talking about right now?!”
Allow me to explain in story form, because old storytelling habits from newspaper days die hard.
I spent 26 years as a sportswriter. At one point or another, especially early on in my career, I felt uncomfortable about what I was doing, because I really wanted to do a great job every day.
I knew I could complete every job thrown at me, and do it well. I was confident in my abilities and the knowledge and experience I gained along the way. Still, the excitement level over what I was blessed to do left me a little on edge, in a good way, because the passion within me was alive and well.
Then came the last 2 years or so in journalism. That uncomfortable feeling faded further away with each passing day.
If I wrote a good piece, I felt OK. If I wrote a subpar piece, which would have pissed me off to no end previously, felt OK too.
My passion was now a job. I knew it was time to leave the industry, because I was doing myself a disservice.
That feeling returns…
It came as no surprise to me when that uncomfortable feeling — hell I’ll call it what it was, nerves — returned 2+ years ago.
Not only did I move my family 400+ miles away from our home for 15 years, I was doing a complete 180-degree turn in careers. Compared to the newspaper industry, fitness was brand new to me.
(Still is, really)
And I don’t imagine that feeling will ever go away this time, no matter how long I stay in fitness.
Journalism was always a part of my life. Remember when I wrote about reading our local newspaper’s sports section from front to back out loud every day when I was a kid? (My Mom certainly does. She still reminds me of that to this day.)
But the more I think back to those days, the more I discover that they merely set me on a path to the career I would choose, even if I didn’t know it then.
Fitness changed my life.
It’s obvious that I wouldn’t be in the fitness industry if I hadn’t finally taken the necessary steps to overhaul my health and fitness more than a decade ago.
I was nearly 250 pounds, and felt and looked a lot older than I was.
I was merely getting through each day, instead of enjoying every second of each day.
That was no way to live, and it took reaching that crossroads in my life to make a dramatic change.
Uncomfortable = passion
But more importantly, I wouldn’t be the human being that I’m proud to be.
Or a better husband.
A better father.
Better friend.
And of course, a better man.
As much as I love being a fitness coach, mentor and business owner, and as much as my personal fitness transformation led me down a path to achieve those goals, I’m not any of those without first improving who I am.
That’s why I feel uncomfortable as I begin each new day of helping people transform their own lives through fitness.
(See, I told you I would eventually get to the point. Thanks for bearing with me.)
I truly want to do good as well as I possibly can.
And that uncomfortable feeling reminds me of the passion I feel over making that happen.
It’s more than OK to feel uncomfortable in life.
That provides the fuel you need to accomplish things that are important to you.
So embrace the feeling and wherever it takes you. It will lead you to where you want to be.
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Are you ready to make the changes and reaching the goals you covet?
Click this link or connect with me on Facebook to take the first step toward a custom 30-day fitness plan, where you will drop those first 10 pounds you want to lose, and feel reenergized and ready to move full steam ahead.