The price is worth the promise...

I almost died today! Well... not really... but I felt like it at the gym. One of my very good friends also happens to be my personal trainer. Her name is La'Drissa Bonivel, and she is a professional athlete (check her out at http://www.loyalbody.com/ or http://facebook.com/loyalbodyinc).

<----- That's my trainer! :-)

At 6am, she put me through a work out like never before. I knew I was going to be in trouble based off of the text message she sent me the night before. Any time your trainer says "*evil laugh*" at the end of a text message regarding your workout you are in trouble! Towards the end of the work out, I felt light headed and I wanted to puke! You may be asking yourself why I allowed her to put me through such a grueling routine. It's simple... THE PRICE IS WORTH THE PROMISE! This philosophy isn't just about working out though. It's about every area of your life.

This coming March, I am in two productions (a film and a stage play) that require me to be shirtless in scenes. I never allow myself to get totally out of shape, but I know that I can sculpt my body a little better than it's current state. The PRICE is hard work, early morning, more cardio that I care for, and a little pain, and cutting back on sweets and other foods that aren't really good for me anyway. The PROMISE is a LOYAL BODY that functions how I want it to, when I want it to. I also get the benefits of better energy, boosted self confidence, more acting roles, and a batter attitude because of the endorphins released during exercise. Whenever you want to excel in something, find somebody that is better than you at it and seek their guidance! You may have to come out of pocket a little, but that's better than paying for your mistakes.

What areas of your life do you want better results in? Are you willing to pay the price? It doesn't matter if we are talking about your business/work life, spiritual life, family life, or social/cultural life. The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. Short cuts are NOT really the answer. You have to pay the price to get the promise! I am not saying that you should intentionally make things harder than they need to be. What I am saying is that when you step up to the counter of success, pay full price so that you can receive the full rewards!

Inventors like Garrett A. Morgan, Valerie Thomas, and Thomas Edison paid the price of sleepless nights while they worked, being ridiculed, and failed attempts. But the promise was that they would make great contributions to society!

Leaders like Dr. King, Gandhi, Marcus Garvey, and Abe Lincoln all had to pay a price in order to achieve great things. Some of them even paid with their lives, but the promise was worth it to them.

What is it that you want to do with your life? Don't get to your death bed and think "I wonder what life would have been like if only I would have _________." Make it happen! Pay the price! The promise is soooooooo worth it!

Suggested reading: Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell