Flashback 15 years.
At this time in my life, I was a scrawny, lanky, and timid 14 year old who desperately wanted to change the way I felt, the way I looked, and the way people looked at me.
Little did I know at this time that lifting weights would quickly become my life’s longest passion.
So after doing what I could with a few dumbbells and weights in my garage at home, I thought I’d take my weight training pursuits to the big show: The YMCA gym.
Oh yeah, it was getting serious now.
Day after day I’d make my way to the YMCA “Pump Palace” as it was known, and fly under the radar going about my amateur workouts as I’d watch guys with what seemed to be god-like physiques heave big weight around like it was nothing.
There were these 2 guys that worked at the gym and also worked out there who were a few years older than me, but had physiques that were light years ahead of my own.
I’d watch them. Study their workouts. Analyze their techniques.
But observation can only do so much.
So one day I did something uncharacteristic of me at the time and went up to these guys.
I might as well have been talking to Arnold Schwarzenegger himself as intimidated as thinking about what I was going to say.
At this time in my life, I was a scrawny, lanky, and timid 14 year old who desperately wanted to change the way I felt, the way I looked, and the way people looked at me.
Little did I know at this time that lifting weights would quickly become my life’s longest passion.
So after doing what I could with a few dumbbells and weights in my garage at home, I thought I’d take my weight training pursuits to the big show: The YMCA gym.
Oh yeah, it was getting serious now.
Day after day I’d make my way to the YMCA “Pump Palace” as it was known, and fly under the radar going about my amateur workouts as I’d watch guys with what seemed to be god-like physiques heave big weight around like it was nothing.
There were these 2 guys that worked at the gym and also worked out there who were a few years older than me, but had physiques that were light years ahead of my own.
I’d watch them. Study their workouts. Analyze their techniques.
But observation can only do so much.
So one day I did something uncharacteristic of me at the time and went up to these guys.
I might as well have been talking to Arnold Schwarzenegger himself as intimidated as thinking about what I was going to say.
But I managed to somehow put a statement together something along the lines of “Hey guys, I’m John and I think you guys are jacked. How did you do that? I want to build muscles like that. Can you tell me how you do it?”
A look came over these guys like I’ve never experienced before.
They both looked as if they got paid a million dollar compliment and if they died at that very moment they’d be utterly content with how their lives played out.
They were truly flattered, an emotion I had never instilled in anyone before in my life. They both smiled from ear to ear and said “Hey thanks a lot man! It means a lot to hear that, we’d be happy to share what we know with you.”
I became close friends with these guys in my time working out at the YMCA, and we managed to keep in touch more than a decade later.
One of the guys, Jerome, still reminds me of our first encounter and told me the way it made him feel.
A look came over these guys like I’ve never experienced before.
They both looked as if they got paid a million dollar compliment and if they died at that very moment they’d be utterly content with how their lives played out.
They were truly flattered, an emotion I had never instilled in anyone before in my life. They both smiled from ear to ear and said “Hey thanks a lot man! It means a lot to hear that, we’d be happy to share what we know with you.”
I became close friends with these guys in my time working out at the YMCA, and we managed to keep in touch more than a decade later.
One of the guys, Jerome, still reminds me of our first encounter and told me the way it made him feel.
He told me it felt great to be “noticed” and “acknowledged.” Even though he wasn’t the biggest or strongest guy in the world, the compliment I paid him would lead you to believe otherwise.
He was just a regular guy who worked in a gym at a point in his life where it’s easy to go un-noticed and just blend in to the backdrop, but he said it was such an inspiring and motivating feeling to know that somebody looked up to him.
This was the first of many people I’d look up to in my life and put me on the road to have people look up to me, whether I knew it or not.
Fast forward from this point 15 years.
There’s a lot in my life that I’ve accomplished, both in and out of the gym.
My physique has come a long way, but still nowhere where I’d like it to be.
But that’s the game us bodybuilders play.
Some days I can look at myself and ask, “bro, do you even lift?”
I’ll say this to myself on most days actually.
I’ll also have conversations with myself about my business as WhatAreYouCraven that go something like, “yeah, you help a good amount of people, but is it really making a difference?
Is this really worth your time and energy?
Maybe you should quit and go get a boring 9-5 engineering job and stop wasting your time trying to make a difference.”
He was just a regular guy who worked in a gym at a point in his life where it’s easy to go un-noticed and just blend in to the backdrop, but he said it was such an inspiring and motivating feeling to know that somebody looked up to him.
This was the first of many people I’d look up to in my life and put me on the road to have people look up to me, whether I knew it or not.
Fast forward from this point 15 years.
There’s a lot in my life that I’ve accomplished, both in and out of the gym.
My physique has come a long way, but still nowhere where I’d like it to be.
But that’s the game us bodybuilders play.
Some days I can look at myself and ask, “bro, do you even lift?”
I’ll say this to myself on most days actually.
I’ll also have conversations with myself about my business as WhatAreYouCraven that go something like, “yeah, you help a good amount of people, but is it really making a difference?
Is this really worth your time and energy?
Maybe you should quit and go get a boring 9-5 engineering job and stop wasting your time trying to make a difference.”
I get down on myself. We all do from time to time.
But the other night I was out late at by myself at this little sushi joint I like to hit up every week.
I was greeted, took my seat, and visited by my server; a young, timid, 20 something year old.
Nice kid, pretty quiet, and very polite.
After paying my check and getting ready to head out, he came up to me and said something I’ll remember for a long time.
“Hi Sir, I just wanted to say that you look great and have an awesome physique. Could you tell me what kind of workouts you do?”
I’ve heard things like this before, and it’s always humbling and flattering, but the sincerity in the way this kid said it made me feel like I could die at that moment and be content with my life.
The kid and I had spoken maybe 12 words to each other before he said that, but he looked up to me.
Honestly, it’s remarkable what a few sincere and genuine words can do to change your entire disposition.
I had gone into that restaurant thinking about how “stuck” I was with my gym progress, my businesses, and where I was in life.
I’ll sometimes compare myself and my progress to others (something I KNOW I should NEVER do, but it happens) and feel like their success trumps mine tenfold.
But those words made me leave that sushi joint rejuvenated and feeling the way I once did when I was just starting my business and passionate about my workouts.
It made me think about the other similar encounters I’ve had over the years where somebody paid me an endearing and genuine compliment.
But the other night I was out late at by myself at this little sushi joint I like to hit up every week.
I was greeted, took my seat, and visited by my server; a young, timid, 20 something year old.
Nice kid, pretty quiet, and very polite.
After paying my check and getting ready to head out, he came up to me and said something I’ll remember for a long time.
“Hi Sir, I just wanted to say that you look great and have an awesome physique. Could you tell me what kind of workouts you do?”
I’ve heard things like this before, and it’s always humbling and flattering, but the sincerity in the way this kid said it made me feel like I could die at that moment and be content with my life.
The kid and I had spoken maybe 12 words to each other before he said that, but he looked up to me.
Honestly, it’s remarkable what a few sincere and genuine words can do to change your entire disposition.
I had gone into that restaurant thinking about how “stuck” I was with my gym progress, my businesses, and where I was in life.
I’ll sometimes compare myself and my progress to others (something I KNOW I should NEVER do, but it happens) and feel like their success trumps mine tenfold.
But those words made me leave that sushi joint rejuvenated and feeling the way I once did when I was just starting my business and passionate about my workouts.
It made me think about the other similar encounters I’ve had over the years where somebody paid me an endearing and genuine compliment.
And also the numerous emails and messages I get on my articles and videos alone about how I help inspire and improve people’s lives.
That’s the best type of motivation there is.
I don’t want to come across as having some sort of superiority complex or put myself on a pedestal, but I often forget there are people who look up to me.
And I can guarantee you, no matter where you are or aren’t in your life, there’s somebody who looks up to you and what you’ve accomplished.
Even on your worst days, there’s somebody who would trade their life for yours.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is to keep on going.
Keep on hustling.
Keep on creating.
Keep on pushing the envelope.
Keep on doing the right thing.
There’s people watching you.
And sure, unfortunately there are some people watching you hoping you fail and fall flat on your face.
But for as many people there are hating on you, there’s probably 10 times as many people in your corner, rooting for you, and hoping you’ll do great things.
They’re out there, and you might never know their names.
But I promise you, they’re there.
That’s the best type of motivation there is.
I don’t want to come across as having some sort of superiority complex or put myself on a pedestal, but I often forget there are people who look up to me.
And I can guarantee you, no matter where you are or aren’t in your life, there’s somebody who looks up to you and what you’ve accomplished.
Even on your worst days, there’s somebody who would trade their life for yours.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is to keep on going.
Keep on hustling.
Keep on creating.
Keep on pushing the envelope.
Keep on doing the right thing.
There’s people watching you.
And sure, unfortunately there are some people watching you hoping you fail and fall flat on your face.
But for as many people there are hating on you, there’s probably 10 times as many people in your corner, rooting for you, and hoping you’ll do great things.
They’re out there, and you might never know their names.
But I promise you, they’re there.
