Wow, what a game!
No doubt, many of you were like me saying that while watching the Super Bowl last night. Honestly, it was the best game I’ve ever seen in my almost 54 years.
As I said to my wife Laurie, about mid-way through the 3rd Quarter, it would take a miracle for the Patriots to come back. Well, as was proved, miracles can happen.
Now, I am neither a fan nor hater of the Patriots (I’m a Giants fan, so I get to gloat over the Pat’s losing two Super Bowls to my team.) But, I am an admirer of theirs.
New England does more with less than any other team I’ve seen. Not just football, but any sport. They have a system which seeks to utilize the talents of each and every member of the team to their fullest, and a will to succeed that tops everyone else. It starts with Tom Brady, their Quarterback.
Coming out of college, Brady was thought to be a career backup, at best. He was drafted in the 6th round. His scouting report projected him to be an average player. He didn’t have the physical attributes to be a star. He was considered frail with a relatively weak arm. He couldn’t drive the ball down the field.
So, how is he considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time? Well, let’s refer back to his scouting report, which said he was “smart and alert” and “produced in big spots in big games.” We can all agree that his determination, intelligence and ability to lead his team were on full display on Super Sunday. And, while he is without a doubt a team player, the biggest team he is on is himself.
So, what does all this have to do with health and fitness you might be thinking?
Well, let’s look at it from this perspective. Had Brady listened to the doubters who said he couldn’t and wouldn’t succeed when he first started out, then he wouldn’t be where he is today. Despite lacking the physical abilities football scouts often seek out in prospects, he’s won five Super Bowls.
Having a plan, and sticking to it, can overcome many obstacles. In Brady, we can assume he possesses an infallible sense of confidence. Combined this with a strong work ethic; hard work and dedication enables people to make the best of one’s abilities and maximize results.
That, my friends, is how you can succeed in your fitness journey.
Let’s be honest, none of us are going to win five Super Bowls or become the greatest quarterback of all time. But, we can be the best “us” we can be if we follow the lead of Brady. Translating that to our world it might mean that while we might not have the ability to look like a supermodel or one of those guys with 6 pack abs you see on the magazine covers, we can be fit and healthy and look pretty darn good in doing so. But to do that we have to overcome the doubters and focus on the goal we want to achieve.
Perhaps the goal is to lose weight or add muscle. Or it might be to get off the prescription meds that are draining your bank account every month. Or it might be that you are sick and tired of being out of breath and exhausted by climbing a flight of stairs. It doesn’t matter what the goal is, what matters is to stop listening to the doubters (often ourselves) and start believing that we can succeed. Then its about applying the hardwork and dedication it will take to accomplish the goal.
And finally instead of listening to the doubters who will inevitably try to stop us, we follow Tom’s lead and let them motivate us to keep moving forward. Instead of saying I can’t and say I WILL. Do that and no matter if you are overweight, out of shape, unhealthy or whatever you will succeed and indeed make your own miracle happen!
You can win something far more important than a SuperBowl…. You can win your health and your life!
Dan Romand is co-owner and operator of Full Circle Fitness – NY in Colonie, where he is also a certified personal trainer.