Mother: I know what you’re thinking, “Kei you misspelled grateful.” I did it on purpose ladies and gentlemen to get your attention. This week I want to go over being “GRATEFUL.” We tend to forget it because we are sooooooooo caught up with what we have to do. Take a step back and be thankful. I wake up everyday, thanking the fact that I am healthy and allow me to do what I love to do, which is to train people. The reason I want to talk about this topic is because today (7/12) is my mother’s birthday and want to share how grateful (yes, it is going to sound like a momma’s boy blog).
I learned so much from my mother. Coming from a single parent family, I didn’t have much interaction with her because she had two jobs. However, she always made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for my brother and myself. EVERY freakin’ day. Looking back, I don’t know how she did it. Working 60+ hours a week and raise two kids? Note that I wasn’t the easiest child to raise. Let’s just say I was a brat. I know she was tired, but she never complained. Always asked how my brother or myself was doing; NEVER showed signs of fatigue. If you were to ask me to do what my mom did, I would throw a tantrum, hah. I would feel overwhelmed. Working 2 jobs, raise 2 kids (1 bad), cook everyday, do laundry, clean the house, etc. But, witnessing this tireless work ethic has allowed to shape what I am today. I wouldn’t say I am the hardest working person in the world, but I pride myself in my work ethic. I take pride in acknowledging people’s name, their pet’s name, spouse’s name, medical history, past injuries, medications they take, body’s response to an exercise, improvements, modifying a exercise based on the clientele, pain sensations during a particular exercise, frustrations of the ups and down of the fitness journey, the psychological battle of eating, researching the most up-to-date exercise trends, how to apply exercise to daily activities, and anything else that’s involved in being a personal trainer. This list doesn’t even include my other title: small business owner.
Without my mother, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would be complacent somewhere and not look for personal growth. She taught me that there’s always something to learn and I am GRATEFUL for that. So let’s be THANKFUL that you have the ability to do X, Y, and Z. Don’t forget to take a step back and appreciate what you have. So ありがとうね、お母さんお誕生日おめでとう (that’s “thank you mom and happy birthday” in Japanese). Hope you liked this week’s blog, stay tuned for more next Wednesday…………………………Kei