Hey Clementine,

Wish I could be there as you grow older. Are you already taller than your mom now? Anyway, I want to make sure that regardless of my presence you become a strong (sort of muscular) woman 😉 Why? Until I was 19, fitness was an unknown realm to me, let alone trying to be regular at the gym. But it all changed after a surprisingly simple incident.

I clearly remember that afternoon. I was home for vacation and the hot summer sun was shining. Papa asked me to join him on his walk to a nearby store, “We need to get some distilled water for the battery. Let’s go, son. It’s just a 30-minute walk.” So cute! He even told me that it will take just 30 minutes to make it less daunting I guess, but he underestimated my laziness.

For a few minutes, I struggled with the thoughts like, “I hardly get to be with him. I better be a good son and help him carry the water back,” and “Oh, he’s a strong man who’s probably used to this. I can take a nap while he’s out and once he’s back we can be together in the comfort of home.” Anyway, after some resistance, I agreed and I was happy with my choice, so far.

It was a fine walk to the store. We talked, discussed changes in the neighborhood, he told me the benefits of walking, and so on. Just a good father-son time. But it all changed quickly once he bought his 5-liter jar of distilled water.

I remember offering help like a good son I wanted to be, “I’ll carry it, Papa. You’ll get tired.” Papa gave me the jar and we started on our way back home. Within a couple of minutes, I had to switch the jar from one hand to another. A few more minutes later, I had given up, the jar was back in Papa’s hand, and I was an annoyed child complaining about the sun, the dust, and everything else.

Deep within, I hated myself for handing over that jar to Papa, but my body had simply given up. Thankfully, Papa showed no signs of fatigue, else I would have felt even worse. In the end, it was this day where I found my reason to start exercising. All it took was a failure to help my father. I never wanted this situation to ever repeat in the future. So within a few months, once I was back to college, I got my first gym membership and never looked back.

To be frank, that day had a much deeper impact. It hit me on the face, a realization that even though I never wanted my loved ones to suffer, I was doing nothing to become capable of this responsibility. This birth of the sense of responsibility in life is one of the best things that ever happened to me. That thought is still with me. With every goal that I hesitate to rise to, I am reminded of that day, and all the doubts and fears fade away.

All we need is a reason that our being depends on, and everything else falls in place. Believe me, if people can find a reason to go to the jobs they hate, then finding a reason to stay fit is way easier. Today, when someone asks me for tips about how to stay regular at the gym, I ask them, “Do you really believe in the reason why you want to stay fit?”

I suggest you ask yourself this question as well Clementine. Just find your “Why?” In fact, it works for almost every choice in life.

See you soon. Love ❤️