Drag you down...

First off, I want to thank everyone who followed my quit smoking progress online, supported my efforts and believed that I could do it. I want to also say thank you to everyone who continues to follow and positively support my progress as I continue on my endeavors to push my limits spiritually and physically throughout my training sessions (which I annoyingly and continuously post online for everyone to read).


THANK YOU!!!


On to other issues...


Why is it that when you do something good for yourself (i.e. quit smoking, start exercising, set endurance goals) there is always someone who makes you feel like your whole effort is a waste of time?


"You can't do that."
"We are regular blue-collar people. We aren't meant to do anything other than work. It's what we do best."
"You're competing against world class athletes, why would you want to even try?"
"There are more important things to do at 5am than train for a duathlon, like going into work early and leaving late and getting in at least 60 hours so you might actually accomplish something."
"Not eating (big nasty greasy pizza) pizza at the pizza party is so disrespectful. It's a birthday pizza party. Eat some pizza and don't worry about your diet."
"What you need to do is work, not worry about anything else. Come in 4am and get some shit done when nobody else is here to bother you with their drama."
"Tell your wife you'll see her in 20 years, you need to bust your ass working as your first priority."
"No, that doesn't make any sense. You should do it my way instead."
"You don't have God in your life. You need to have more God in your life. You will be much better off with God constantly in your life. God always needs to come first"


Yes, these are real quotes. Some I have listened to for years. Some are relatively new.


I don't want to become this.


Is it too much to ask for support? To be treated with a little dignity and respect?


The most important thing I will ever do is love my wife and kids. Taking care of my mind, body and spirit is second. Work...eh. I've learned that, like friends and acquaintances, it comes and goes.


I have learned that lesson, by the way. I do not want a headstone to read: "Gee, I worked really hard my whole life but I sure wish I would have worked more!"


Everything I do or am involved in now makes me a better person. And that better person has become a better daddy and a better husband. That better person no longer smokes, rarely touches alcohol, takes care of himself and wakes up happy every day. The previous person worked those 60+ hour weeks, didn't care, didn't really try, didn't wake up happy and didn't try to really be a good daddy and husband.


Soooo... I'm not really sure why I have put all of this in digital print for the world to see. But ya know what? Fuck it, it's my damn blog and if ya don't like it, read someone else's blog. I need to vent!