September 11, 2001.
I remember I was sitting in 7th-grade history class, the phone rang in the classroom, and my teacher started crying.
She had family in the New York City area and obviously didn't know if they were okay or not.
After school, I still visualize being glued to the television, watching the devastation with my parents.
It was a day none of us will ever forget.
I know some friends and clients who lost family members that day, and I can't even imagine the pain they've been through.
When I saw that we were starting our next challenge at the gym on 9/11, I knew it was a sign to do something.
Today kicks off another 6-week challenge at Spurling, a platform we use to re-motivate current clients and give new people a chance to try us out.
This one's extra special though, as we'll be raising funds for the September 11 Memorial & Museum.
Current clients can set a goal for the 6 weeks and if they hit the goal, we'll donate $5, if they miss the goal, they donate the $5.
For clients new to Spurling, joining the 6 week challenge for the first time, we're donating $1 for every workout they get in during their first 6 weeks with us.
I'll continue to say it...
I don't think we're a gym.
I think we're a community, a connector of people, that just happens to use fitness as a way of doing just that.
And that's what I want to focus on today.
There's a lot of bad going on in the world.
Whether it's terror attacks, the hurricane devastation down south, or the racist and political issues, it's easy, and always will be easy, to find the bad in this world.
We can beat ourselves up, get into a negative mindset about it, or we can focus on the positive, take action, and change something.
We can focus on the military and first responders who put their lives at stake every day.
We can focus on the person that just paid for your coffee.
We can focus on people like JJ Watt, who uses his celebrity status as a way of raising millions, instead of using it as a platform to complain.
Heck, in the background on TV as I'm writing this, a group or reporters just helped a dolphin that was stranded on the beaches of Florida.
I truly believe most of us in this world are good people.
I try to spend my time not complaining about the bad, but instead, do something every day to leave the world a little bit better off.
At our core, I think that's what motivates us.
Whether it's our job, being a parent, or donating a few bucks to charity, we're motivated by helping people and making an impact.
I challenge myself, and I challenge you, to remember that events like 9/11 and all other negative events in our lives, are great reminders that life is short, and you never know when your time will come.
Don't spend your precious time in a negative mindset, complaining, but instead, use it to change lives, make an impact on people, and leave the world a better place than you found it.
1% Better.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling
PS: If you don't go to Spurling, but want to join us in donating to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, you can do so here.