Fit for Life: Keep Your Balance

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Yesterday, I realized that sometimes you need to just take a look around and appreciate the things you already have, as well as the things you are trying to get. This last year I have been working hard and staying so focused on business, that I never really made the time to look at the things in life that are equally as important as success – things like family, friendship, happiness, and health. I just celebrated a birthday this week, and must admit that even though I am a year older, and I feel that my life is more than half way gone, I was in an exceptionally good mood on that day. I realized that all the people that acknowledged me and sent me their best wishes took my mind off all the stress in my life and made me think about other things that are just as important to me, as my business, and reaching my financial goals in life. I opened my business at this time last year, and it has totally consumed my life. Being successful, building a business, and dominating my industry has been my primary focus this past year, and even though I have done some fun things, and enjoyed the company of great people all year, my mind was always in my business. Trying to grow, taking ultimate care of my clients, and avoiding failure, have consumed my mindset, and just about all my energy for the past year. Even when I was not working I still thought of ways to improve, and get better. I was physically other places, but my mindset never changed.

Celebrate your successes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining, and would do it all over again, because I know that whatever path you choose in life, there will be fear, stress, and uncertainty, and if there isn’t, you are either not pushing yourself to the limits of your potential, or you are already as successful and wealthy as you want to be. I love what I do, and love the people I deal with on a daily basis. I bring results, and accomplishment into peoples’ lives who follow my program, and I truly enjoy the look on someone’s face when they weigh in and fist pump because the results are favorable. To me that’s satisfaction, and fulfillment.

Create balance.

As I reflect on this past year of my life, I want to make a point that you need to create balance with everything you do in life. Although I haven’t worked out as much as I used to before opening up, I still found a way to get at least 2-3 intense workouts in a week to maintain good physical condition. I also always made the time to eat healthy everyday, visit my mother and grandmother on a regular basis, and took my nephew camping, as well as still helped my football players who I coach stay in shape. Although I found time to do a few fun things this summer, I sacrificed self indulgence and happiness to try to achieve other goals. This is something I can’t really control, and we need to realize that there are some things in life we can’t control, but need to take the things we can do and give them our all.

Control what you can control.

I know that everyone has stresses in their lives on all different levels, and some are more valid than others, but we all experience stress on a different level, and that is something we can’t control. Your fitness, and quality of your relationships with others, as well as working hard to achieve success are things you can control, and you need to apply your best effort and go all out to make these things happen. The reality in life is that you can’t control stress and happiness, and they will always come and go, but fitness, wealth, and being a good person are well within everyone’s ability. So take the things you can’t control and deal with them accordingly, but never quit or give up when the going gets tough, and take the things in your control and give your best effort, and in the end….success will find you.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"