Live a Life Worth Telling a Story About

July 11, 2011
by Todd

By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS

Excellence. Greatness. Passion. What are you pursuing each and everyday of your life? Maybe your purpose is:

To be a great parent by offering your children the gift of your time
To give back to your community through philanthropic activities
To do well in school, in sports, or the game of life
To develop a product to revolutionize your industry
To inspire greatness everyday in clients, co-workers, family, and friends
To create IMPACT physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for the people whose lives you touch

I believe it’s important to be dedicated to a meaningful purpose in life, and to live it everyday. But experience has taught me that a life purpose isn’t so clear to everyone. Some of you might be confused about exactly what you want to do. Or, maybe your work doesn’t align with your interests. Maybe you feel like you haven’t had the right opportunities yet. Or, maybe you haven’t CREATED the right opportunities for yourself…yet.

Whatever your purpose is or will be in life, I know you are meant to search for it. And once you find it… embrace it and LIVE it to the max!

This subject has been on my mind a lot lately and I can’t think of a better example of young men and women right in the middle of their search than what’s happening seven days a week at my San Diego gym, Fitness Quest 10. This summer, I have thirteen interns (yes – thirteen!), searching, discovering, and learning about their calling, their passion – their future profession. We call them the Dirty Dozen & Then Some. Their quest is to find their niche in the industry – to figure out if it’s fitness, strength and conditioning, group exercise instruction, boot camps, Pilates, youth programs, or another specialty in the field.

How do they do this? By immersing themselves 100% in the work. The interns have committed to our program for three months. Ninety days. Grueling hours. Hot sun. Many camps, many kids, and many classes. They assist with pro athlete sessions, with Joes and Janes and with every aspect of the behind-the-scenes activity at FQ10. Their compensation? It’s more like an honorarium than an income.

What does it take? Sacrifice. Commitment. Oh yeah, and A LOT OF ENERGY!

Why do they do it? I believe every one of them is fueled by the desire to find their life purpose. It is an honor (and a heck of a lot of fun) to be one of their teachers, and I applaud their work ethic, their stamina, their enthusiasm and their good nature.

Let me introduce you to our Dirty Dozen & Then Some – all thirteen – kicking butt and taking names:

Kai-Uwe Aescht Passau/Bavaria, Germany
Maria Arana Imperial Beach, CA
Christopher Javier Carranza San Diego, CA
Tony Cates Monroe, Wisconsin
Sean Conaty Monticello, NY
Kelsey Crooks San Diego, CA
Charleston Dela Cruz San Diego, CA
Lucas Timothy Mok Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Lisa Parsons West Chester, PA
Justin Russ Buffalo, NY
Ryan Roberts Greensboro, NC
Demi Scaife New York, NY
Adrian Vera Fullerton, CA

About now, you could be wondering how this might pertain to you. My friend, it’s never too late to find your life purpose and to discover your passion – that natural high that comes from knowing you’re in the right role in the right place. In other words, find out if you’re walking the right path – the one that was meant for you. Here’s how:

Discover your purpose. Stop and look around you. Make sure you are on the right path for happiness and harmony in your life. If not, change your path.
Be willing to sacrifice what you have for what you want. As the saying goes, “if you keep doing what you’ve always done, you will keep getting what you always got.”
Focus on the WHY, not the HOW. Don’t let fear, excuses, negativity, or doubt hold you back. If you want something bad enough, say “YES!!!” and then figure out how to get it done. Know WHY you want it done and the HOW will follow.
Pay the price for greatness. Everyone who plays at a top level (athletes, executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, etc.) has faced adversity. There is no doubt you will too. It’s how you respond to adversity and overcome a challenge that will ultimately determine your success.

Over the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to speak at two different youth football camps hosted by NFL players. A couple weeks ago, I was in Olathe, Kansas for the Darren Sproles’ Football Camp. And this past week, I spoke at Antoine Cason’s Football Camp here in San Diego. I had the chance to work with kids ranging in age from 7 to 18 and I left every participant with the same message: “LIVE A LIFE WORTH TELLING A STORY ABOUT.”

Each of us was created with unique gifts, but it isn’t always immediately obvious what our gifts are. That’s why we call life a journey… a journey to discover the truth about our gifts and ourselves. Once we find them, we’re meant to share them with others. And that’s a life purpose worth our dedication. So get out there, discover your gifts and use them everyday to IMPACT those around you. When you do, you truly will LIVE A LIFE WORTH TELLING A STORY ABOUT.

Peace and love,

Todd