Start from scratch

This morning I spoke with this twenty-something year old Ethiopian guy who moved here to pursue the American dream.  You know the one:  money, kids, cars, a big house – am I forgetting anything?  Well, he explained to me how his family is considered wealthy by Ethiopian standards, with a nice house and a live-in servant for $20/month (yes, $20), and how he’s basically had to “start from scratch” since arriving two years ago.  Because regardless of his perceived wealthy past, he’s had to start from square one here in the United States.  Just like many people and their fitness programs.  If you haven’t worked out in a really long time, well, you’ll just have to start from scratch.  But that’s not a bad thing.  In fact, why not make it a good thing!  Like with my Ethiopian friend – who has his own apartment, works a full time job and goes to technical college – starting over doesn’t have to be feared.  Keep it simple and keep it short, as in 1% of your day.  Embrace the challenge and have fun with your new beginning.  Because who doesn’t have 15 minutes a day to respect themselves?  R