One of the great blessings of my professional career in fitness (as nascent as it is; fitness is my second career in life) is that I get to work with seniors at the Dollard des Ormeaux Seniors Club on a nearly daily basis. I teach fitness, and another class on media and Internet literacy, called Real news vs. Fake News.
It’s just an example, from where I’m standing, of how sometimes in life, (to paraphrase the Rolling Stones) you don’t always get exactly what you’re looking for, but what ends up happening is the thing that you really didn’t know you wanted the whole time.
Clear as mud, right?
I know, I apologize. But again, I have a point. I’m just taking a second to get to it.
On Tuesday afternoon, I taught the fifth and final class in a course called Real News vs. Fake News at the centre, and despite only having three students I the class on a snowy afternoon, I realized that we had such a good time that I was a little disappointed when I remembered it was the final class in the course.
Fortunately, the next morning I was right back in the building, teaching the Fit for Life 3 mixed cardio/strength class that I teach every Wednesday morning. At the end of this particular class, which was really fun – as it usually is— I was feeling particularly thankful for my students and their engagement and I realized that – Hey! I love teaching seniors!
I stopped in my tracks and sort of shook my head and thought about it again. I always leave that place totally happy and thrilled about life. It almost never fails that I leave there with happiness beaming out of my every pore.
I did not see this coming.
When I started my personal-training and fitness-coaching business, I had it in my head I would work with elite athletes who wanted to make the extra leap forward in their training. Young football players who wanted to make the big time. Maybe powerlifters who were entering competition or weekend warriors getting ready for an Ironman (triathlon). I never, in a million years, thought I would get so much satisfaction out of working with seniors, but much to my very, very pleasant surprise, it has easily been the most satisfying experience of my professional career.
Their interest in the subject matter, their carefully considered questions and their often-astounding transitions from sedentary to active and the physical manifestations that come with that journey never fail to inspire me to be a better and more engaged teacher. Their smiles are what help me bounce back from tough days and personal pain and emotional struggles.
It’s a pretty satisfying moment when you find out you’re right where you want to be in life. I stood in the parking lot at the Dollard des Ormeaux Civic Centre and hollered a great, big ‘YES!’ and I think I may have frightened some people. I apologize if I did.
But I will not apologize for loving my work. Nor should I.
I wish each and every one of you were just as fulfilled.