THE BENCH: Wake up lesson I now know and share

THE BENCH is a lesson in knowing everything has a life cycle and that things that start new, yes I mean YOU, over time wear out. Now what does this mean in life and in business? THE BENCH started out, fresh from the box, new—shining vinyl cover, not a mark of rust, just perfect. So you grab your weights, you work out day after day, sick, hurt, whatever you hammer away. SOUND FAMILIAR? Work, you show up day after day, go through the motions, and hurt or sick you just show up and do the job.

Now as time goes on, the pretty shiny vinyl gets a rip, and the vinyl cracks from the wear and tear. The steel starts to show rust in the edges. NOT SO PRETTY. Just like in a job, a relationship a marriage, the edges get a little banged up. You just keep hammering away at it and you eventually have to make a choice. DO YOU say, wow this is worn out, the wood is showing on the bench, the vinyl is gone? I just throw this away? Marriage? Friends? job? and in some cases, it may well be the right thing to do, say the rust destroyed the integrity of the bench and that could be a scary event, the bench collapses, or the other option is what I have done, you love the core value and integrity of the bench and you adapt, you adapt the bench with DUCT TAPE, not exactly new vinyl but it works and you adapt as your body is injured or your age is slowly catching up BUT THE CORE of WHY is still there. Your job may need to change but the reason why you work has to be there so the job may well be different but are you working for the right core reasons? A marriage is different from dating, or falling in love but if the CORE reason you love that person is there it does not matter, what you do is adapt.

The lesson here is WAKE UP. You and only you can look in the mirror and ask, am I doing what I do because I know it is right at the core level, not because the outside world is watching me or I want people to think this or that but at the CORE, are you doing what is the right thing for you to be happy. I can give honest advice here as after 40 plus years on my bench, I still love working out, I look forward to this daily, I like to adapt because it allows me to keep doing what I love. I love my wife, because we have weathered many years together good times , and tough times, and yet there is no one else in the world I would rather walk the beach with, sit, and be with no matter what. Work is not about the paychecks it is about making a difference and feeling you positively impact someone or something. Last, TIME IS NOT STOPPING SO MY FRIENDS GET IT RIGHT NOW.