The Pursuit of Happiness

“Hi! How are you doing today?” – Typical person #1

“Eh, I’m OK… how about you?” – Typical person #2

“About the same… thank you for asking and talk to you soon.” –Typical person #1


If this ‘typical’ conversation exchanged between two typical people sounds familiar to you, you aren’t the only one noticing its monotony. Each and everyday we are faced with the habitual question of “How are you doing?” and more often than not, we hear the same recurring answers of “Eh… Ok.”, “I’m doing alright.”, “I’ve been better.” and, well, you catch my drift. Have you ever looked outside the box and wondered why it is that people aren’t more open to expressing their happiness or conveying how wonderful their life is? If ‘ignorance is bliss’ (as they say), then why aren’t more people happy?


Happiness is something we all strive for each and every day and it’s something that impels us to move forward and sometimes back. Many of us find happiness in the simple things in life, some people in the bigger picture while others seem to never find it. Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine what it would take for you to reach eternal happiness. Would it take a change of career? Or maybe relocation to another area? More money? Less debt? What about a vacation? Weight loss or gain? Visualize these changes being made and ask yourself what it would take to reach this optimal state of happiness. Are you on your way?


Inner happiness is created by surrounding yourself with the people and things that support your dreams and aspirations. It also radiates from accepting what you have and who you are and not focusing on what you don’t have and who you are not. We are given but one life to live as the person we are. Although we cannot make ourselves grow seven inches or change our past, we are given the incredible gift of being in charge of our destiny, our future and who we want to become regardless of our current or past circumstances. Happiness lies in our attitude toward life. We unfortunately can’t control everything and everyone around us and we shouldn’t try to. We needn’t search for happiness any farther than our own backyard. Although it may do a fair job in eluding us at first, we can always find it if we take the time to remove the brush the wind so passively blew over it.


In life, we are given choices each and every day. We are faced with thousands of decisions that will ultimately determine our fate and our outcome in life. It’s our attitude towards these decisions that can either create happiness or destroy the word itself. Part of our job as health, wellness and fitness professionals is to help our clients dig deep within themselves to find what it is that makes them happy. If we aren’t happy and satisfied with ‘Us, how are we supposed to make others happy for a living? In order to be effective and efficient in helping others reach their optimal lifestyle, we have to take the journey ourselves and create happiness within Us first.


Happiness stems not from what you have, but from what you do and by how you choose to perceive your life. I want for you to picture your life in a perfect and ideal state. What are you imagining and how would a perfect day look for you? What we fail to sometimes realize is that all the people, places and opportunities in the world cannot and will not make us truly happy if we aren’t ‘at one’ with ourselves. We spend so much time worrying about what we don’t have and what we have lost, but what we need to instead focus on is the one thing that no one and nothing can take away from us: Our dreams.

Think about this for a moment… Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed and because of this fact, many choose not to take the leap of faith into the unknown to chance finding happiness. As humans, our natural tendency is to reside where we are safe, secure and comfortable in our living environment. By following a possibility or a dream, we are stepping out of our comfort zone and into a realm of uncertainty that may or may not take us to our destination right away. What we should be doing, however, is not settling for any less than what we deserve; and that is to be happy. Do you not live each day for your dreams and for the positive aspects of life that drive you to push on even in the hardest of times? Do you not dream each day of the things you want to accomplish and of your perfect destiny? You see, it isn’t always the here and now that propels us to rise up one more time after being pushed down many. It’s not the here and now that pushes us to survive and make good choices for ourselves, family and friends. It is thoughts of the future and the possible consequences of each action we take now that give us the strength to stand tall. It is our dreams, our possibilities, our ‘what ifs’ that drive us forward. Realize right now, Faithful Reader, that life can take away anything and anyone it wants to, but it can’t take away your dreams. Your dreams are the one thing that can’t be touched by anyone but you. It is our one guarantee in life, our ONE safety net that we can depend on no matter what else may happen in life. By envisioning our dreams and living for them, we will never encounter a point in life where we have ‘nothing’. We have but only one, single life to live and it is shorter than we think. You see, while we continue to live ‘safely’, we are choosing to ignore the open doors all around us that are left wide open for a reason and we are also allowing our dreams to be set on hold.


Where you are, who you surround yourself with, and what you do all play a role in your future. Positive people and situations can make all the difference in what not only today brings, but what tomorrow has in store. Positive people create chain reactions that spread like fire. By surrounding ourselves with the people who support what our dreams entail and if we are constantly following a direct path to what makes us happy, then we are constantly paving the road to greatness regardless of what may ensue around us. Then and only then can we be ‘at one’ with ourselves and truly be complete. People, places and things are but compliments to any human body. It is the heart, soul, and mind that are central to our emotional state and being more cognizant of this fact will only benefit us.



You have the choice to decide who and what you want along for your life journey. We are in charge of our destiny and we deserve to be happy because life is short already as it is. Picture your life once again as it is and now picture your ideal life. Close your eyes and feel how your emotional changes. See in your mind’s eye a parameter around your life. See a periphery that can’t be crossed by anyone or anything without your permission. The only other thing lying within your parameter are your dreams and the only way you will let anyone into your circle is by invitation only based on how it will complement You and your ideal life. Each person you invite should help provide the backbone for what you desire and for what makes you happy. You run the publisher of your life and you write each page day in and day out. When all is said and done, will you be proud to be the author? Will the book subsist as complete or will pages be missing?


In my own true life story, the difference between my real and ideal state was the difference between night and day. It can take time to establish the parameters and to send out the right invitations, but it is not at the expense of anything not worth-while. You will only benefit yourself and those around you by striving for happiness. Connect To Fitness is working hard to provide a backbone to health, wellness and fitness professionals or aspiring professionals by providing constant support and dedication to helping others reach their dreams and potential. We stand for connecting individuals together to help bind these parameters and dreams together to make everlasting change throughout the industry, the people who seek our help and guidance, and, in turn, the world. We are sending out our own invitations and extending our hand to those people and businesses who are taking their work and career to the next level by striving to create happiness within themselves and those around them by creating and living their dreams. Surround yourself with the people who can make your vision possible and let us help you make those connections. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.


We will be having our newsletter up and running shortly that will feature what is new, current and up-and-coming in both the health and wellness industry in general as well as within Connect To Fitness. There will also be a feature for professionals who would like to share their goals with others by being interviewed and published. We are interested in hearing your thoughts and recommendations, Faithful Reader, so we can get the word out on those who are committed to making a difference in this industry.


Currently, we are also looking to meet and schedule sit-down meetings with You all to foster and develop lasting relationships, ascertain what you are all about and to understand how we can help each other. Each person has a unique story and it is our passion to hear your stories and to be a part of what you decide to write on your pages. Start looking forward to that and if we don’t already have your email information, please send it to ConnectToFitness@gmail.com so we can contact you! We look forward to branching out and becoming more involved with the people who are making our vision of Connect To Fitness a reality. Your support has been unbelievable and we appreciate those who are involved in our journey.


This past week, I had the honor of travelling to the beautiful Boulder City with Dr. Darian Parker to meet with Marcie Gibson, who runs the fitness, volunteer, and community show in this small town. She gave us an unforgettable experience that left us in awe of not only her dedication to helping others, but of the potential in Boulder City. Each street we walked down and each facility or establishment we walked into, Marcie greeted everyone by name and the faces of everyone she came in contact with just lit up. It is obvious she is making great strides in influencing those around her and in making the world a better place. This city is absolutely breathtaking and it feels like a home away from home. From visiting Lake Mead to the Hoover Dam to everywhere in-between, this is truly a historic and gorgeous city that is worth taking the time out to travel to. Connect To Fitness will be working closely with Marcie to build relationships between the Vegas and Boulder City areas. There will be many great health and fitness related volunteer opportunities in the future as well as events to behold. I fell in love with this city and would highly, highly recommend seeing it for yourself if you haven’t already. It will fill you with a sense of happiness and it is such a close getaway from the sometimes fast-life we live here in Vegas. Take advantage of visiting Boulder City when you get some time.


Don’t wait any longer to pursue what will make your dreams a reality. When people approach you and ask you how you are doing, tell them you are doing ‘Great!’ as this positive reaction will not only have a positive effect on you, but it will rub off and effect those around you. These people will in turn rub off on those around them and you will have started a positive chain reaction. It is never too early or too late to start chasing what it is that makes you feel happy and in this short life, we deserve no less than to feel this way on a constant basis. Become what you believe in and live it with every breath you take and with every ounce of your heart and soul. It is only then that you will be complete and it is only then that you will make a maximum and lasting imprint on those around you. We are in an industry based around helping others, but remember that we need to be able to help ourselves first. We become true role-models when we live our philosophies and when we walk our talk. Live for your dreams and push on each day to reach happiness for it will guide you to your dreams. Devote time each day for You and for what is going to most benefit you. You are worth every second invested and you are allowed to be selfish with your life for it is irreplaceable. Live your ‘perfect’ day. Every day.


The past is just that: the past. It is the future that holds your destiny. Don’t lose sight of your dreams; chase them. Don’t fear parameters, make them. And if you don’t mind me asking, “How are you doing today?”