My "Aha" Moment

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Added: Wed. Oct 15, 2008 4:00pm
Posted in: Fitness

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I'm a big believer in the concept of paying it forward (I've actually blogged about it before!) The basic premise is that if Jim lends me $5, I don't pay him back -- I pay it forward by lending Bob $5. Instead of paying me back, Bob lends Susie $5, and so on and so on. It doesn't have to be financial; if instead of paying Jim back the money, I wash Bob's car and Bob takes Susie to the doctor's office and Susie does something for someone else, the system works. So instead of two people helping each other out, it starts an endless cycle.

(Sidebar -- Liberty Mutual has a great series of ads that showcase the idea of paying it forward … check out the video at the bottom of this blog)

Anyway, I experienced a great sense of paying it forward this week, when Growing Bolder's Bill Shafer told me that I made a difference in his life, and inspired him to make a change. He started running.

To know why this is a big deal, you have to know that I am not a born runner. I force myself to lace up my sneakers two or three times a week, as part of my triathlon training. A year ago, even the thought of running made me want to crawl in bed, and I made any excuse to get out of the exercise. But Marc, Jason and I went to the Masters Triathlon in Orlando, and I had an "aha" moment -- if these men and women could push their bodies and actually enjoy it (and look great doing it), so could I!

Now we're back to this week. Bill and I were casually talking about my workout schedule, and he told me that he was so inspired by my routine -- he started running himself!

I'm amazed that the pay it forward cycle worked without any of us even trying … The Masters athletes inspired me, I inspired Bill, and he's now inspiring others who may be looking for the motivation to get out and get moving. I guess the lesson is, follow your dreams, do what makes you happy, and you're bound to affect someone else -- just by being you.

(Here's the commercial I mentioned)