Just a little better

“It’s ok to be average.” I have heard this way too many times and where it is ok to be an average person, what really is average? I believe average is a state of mind. I believe you get to a point where you tell yourself, “Ok, I can live with this.” Some people will tell you that being average is ok because the major portion of our population is average and just because of that reason, being average is not good. My argument steams from the fact that every year average gets a little lower. We tend to lower our standards in everything we do. As an example compare the average American of today to the average American even 20 or 50 years ago. The average waist size for females was 24-26 and the weight was around 120 pounds. Twenty years ago the waist size for a female, on the average, was 28-32 and now it is 34-38 and the average weight is 180 pounds. Every year dress sizes change. What I mean is what a size zero was back in the 1950’s is no longer what a size zero is today. With men, the average waist size in the 1950’s was 30-32 inches. Twenty years ago it was 32-36 and now 40-42 inches is the new norm. I know this because the last time I tried to go get a belt I had to shop in the teenage department. My waist size is 29 inches and there was nothing under 34 inches in the men’s department. In the 1950’s what we consider medium shirts is now our extra small shirts and it is the norm for a man in his 40’s to walk around sporting a belly like they are 9 months pregnant. Back in the 50’s this was just unheard of. The average food consumption has increased while the average activity has decreased. The average person is 50 pounds overweight now and pre-diabetic. The average American test scores in Math, English and Foreign Languages has decrease and we have lost our dominance in those areas. I could go on but what would be the point. I think you get what I am saying. We need to not settle for what we have accomplished today because tomorrow, in so many ways, we will be falling behind. Every day we should strive to become a little better than the day before. There will be our long term success. Now I know that some of you work-a-holic types out there are going to use that as an excuse to work a little harder. “See, Kevin says that I need to work a little harder” and that is not what I am saying. My point is that we as a nation cannot settle for mediocrity any more. We have settled for that too long now and you see where it has gotten us. Other nations have just not caught us but surpassed us on so many levels in so many areas. Enough is enough don’t you think? We need to go back and remember what our forefathers taught us about hard work. America did not get great by us just sitting around, but it got great because of our belief in God and the blood and sweat we shed every day. Our forefathers had goals and dreams. Remember the airplane. They said it was impossible to fly like a bird. Many said, “Leave the flying to the birds. If man was meant to fly God would have given us wings.” Did that stop us from achieving that feat? Or sending a man to the moon? Or the telephone or the microwave oven and look at the cell phone and how small they have become. Somewhere we lost our drive and we have our priorities all wrong. Somewhere we have forgotten the biggest asset we all have, our health. We are so busy chasing after the wind to support our habits that we have forgotten to take care of the one thing that will never leave us our health and it is showing. We need to stop and rethink so many things but we must first start with the basics and the first thing we need to do is concentrate on our health. It should be priority in our lives. As much as most really don’t’ want to admit it, our confidence starts with how we really feel about ourselves. How we looked effects how we act. We can give millions of excuses on why we are the way we are, but in the end our self confidence is wrapped up in our appearance. You don’t believe me? Look in the mirror or go stand out in public and ask yourself the following questions; 1) How do I feel standing out here? 2) What do others see in me? 3) Why are people attracted to me? 4) Why are they not attracted to me? The answer to these questions will truly tell you how you feel about yourself. Now from this point, don’t be discouraged but understand that by beginning the process of making your today just a little bit better (health wise)than yesterday you will begin a process of improving your health and in turn making a difference in your world. This is what I feel America has to do for us to be the power we once were. The road we are going down now is slippery and we are picking up speed to an end we just don’t need to go to. Today is your tomorrow, so let’s get started. My next blog will discuss what should be our first step in finally changing for good.