I helped a women touch her toes for the first time maybe ever. After weeks of struggle and persistence, she finally did it! This was the most rewarding day this month. Working in this field, I am so fortunate to help people achieve small goals, and gain competency in their daily routine and an awareness and connection with their body they never thought possible. I love it!

I have always known that I would be helping people, I have tried many ways, but it always came back to health and fitness. At an early age, I realized that prevention was a very important concept. In high school, it really hit home. My family health history is like that of most families here in the Midwest. Diabetes (Type II) and Heart Disease have made an appearance in my family. The two leading causes of death AND are both extremely preventable.

8 of the 10 leading causes of death ARE preventable. Prevention is something most doctors don’t talk about very often to their patients. My grandparents are very active, but never took their doctors advice. I always remember them saying ‘so the dr said that I need to be doing this and that’ but I never saw them follow through fully.

I found my calling from my family. I do this for them. I want more than anything for them to call and ask me for advice or help. But I will never seek them out. They know what I do, and if they want help I hope they know that I am here for them. In the meantime, I help everyone I can! I can’t help it! I just think of all the family members I am helping, everyone I’m helping is a brother, sister, mom or dad to someone. I wish someone had looked out for my family, just like I’m looking out for their families.

The woman that finally reached her toes, a small accomplishment but she will go on with her day pushing herself just a little bit further. She will keep coming back seeing this small success that I told her would be achievable if she kept up her hard work, will have more faith in my words, and know they are not just words but love and care and honesty and she will pass on that extra helping because I told her to work forward this weekend quit catching up!

Sometimes focusing on the little things will all add up to the bigger things. When you have much to accomplish, you don’t have to see the top of the stairs, just the first step. It may not seem to be completely correlated, but it will all make sense in the end. Keep working forward, progress in a positive direction and everything around you will seem more achievable!