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 Happy Monday Dads! I hope you are ready for a new week, and I hope you've found plenty of inspiration this weekend to keep you on a path of healthy living. As our community of committed dads grows, I wanted to share two quick stories that highlight the power of camaraderie. Sure it sounds simple, but I know some of you will have a harder time reaching out for help than others. A good place to start is by dropping the "macho-bullshit mindset" that makes you think you have to do it all yourself. It's much harder and not nearly as fun to go through this journey alone.
Let me first highlight something a new dad I met last week shared with me. Shawn is from Connecticut and like all of us, is inspired to lose 30 lbs for his 7-year-old daughter. He's also a new member to the GWL Club so we're having a great time working together on his game plan. During one of our recent discussions, Shawn told me about a growing group of dads in his area that have formed an exercise group with the common goal of losing weight. The group is about 30 guys strong and growing. This is such a smart move and will undoubtedly help all the dads hold each other accountable. It's been proven in study after study that those people who exercise in a group lose up to twice as much weight as those that go it alone.
The other story hits much closer to home for me personally. I'm fortunate to have great friends. There is a core group of about 15 guys that have been getting together every April to participate in "The Outing". This year marked the 15th year of the golf trip which has created more gut-busting stories than you can imagine. I think we've all come to the realization that it's no longer about the golf but the friendship and camaraderie of getting together each year. As each year comes and goes, the discussion has matured from how many beers we had the night before to how are kids are doing and the normal challenges of life. Something happened last year that gave all of us a wake-up call when we lost one of our beloved friends, Miller. He died from complications of a virus at the age of 41. Although I don't have the details of the specific medical cause of death, Miller would be the first one to admit he was a walking time bomb of unhealthy habits. He was what you might consider a "gentle giant" but unfortunately carried far too much excess fat in belly area, which I'm certain played a role in his tragic death. Out of this tragedy came an act of brotherly love that was kicked off last night. You see, the outing organizer and all around MVP is a good friend of mine named Ross. Since I couldn't make this year's trip, Ross was giving me the highlights last week which allowed me to get caught up on the antics and updates of the crew. When I asked him how our friend Brad was doing, he paused. I was a little surprised because Brad had told me he lost about 20 lbs a few months prior and was making progress. As it turns out, the stress levels went up and so did the weight for Brad. What happened next wasn't earth shattering or difficult or even uncomfortable. Ross simply asked me, "What can we do? I'm worried about him." That was then followed by "I lost Miller way too early, and I'm not going to another friend's funeral." You see, it starts with caring but Ross turned it into action. He called Brad, told him how he felt ,and I know Brad felt the love to take a new approach for long-term lifestyle changes. I'm proud to say that Brad and I kicked off his initial 8-weeks on GWL Club and are focused to succeed. He will certainly use the inspiration of his 6-year-old daughter but having the additional support of his good friends that will surely super-charge his efforts. When you look around at your own friends and family, are there other dads out there you could include in your journey? You never know, but you could be saving someone's life just by the simple act of caring and voicing that compassion. Trust me, it doesn't get any more manly than that. Healthy Jumping...
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