As we stood outside of a restaurant nestled against the Volga river, a small boy no older than 8 came up to our group. He wasn’t wearing any shoes and was quite dirty. I was stunned because I realized that this boy had approached to beg us for money. Although I had many experiences like this, never was it the child was doing the begging. Before I could search for loose change, my host told the child he had a deal for him. He said that if the boy could do 20 pushups, he would give him 100 dollars! The boy looked at the man in disbelief, but the other distinguished gentlemen assured the boy this was a legitimate deal.
My host got down on the ground in his fancy clothes, and demonstrated a perfect pushup the way it had to be performed for the boy to get the money. The boy got down on the ground and started. The first few looked good, but at 7 reps, my experience told me he wasn’t getting 20. He struggled and fought with everything he had, but at 13 his tiny arms gave out under his weight.
The little boy rose to his tiny, dirty feet with his head and eyes down looking absolutely dejected and defeated. Just as I started to resent my host for putting the boy through this hopeless challenge, the man took a knee, looked the boy in the eye and delivered the lesson. He stated, “If you continue to beg the rest of your life, you will always remain weak. If you do this exercise each day and get strong, some day you will build the strength so you no longer have to beg. Do you understand?” The boy nodded yes, and then, in what shocked both me and the boy, my host gave him the 100 dollars.
This experience made me appreciate not only what I had, but also what I have become. You see, I can remember being like that boy. Although I may not have been begging in the streets, I did not have many of the things I desired in my life. Through physical training I have been afforded opportunities that would not have been possible without the strength and confidence I have developed. The lesson my Russian host provided was true: With physical strength comes ability. And with ability comes confidence. And with confidence comes the courage to take on challenges. I am so passionate about fitness because I know that being fit means far more than having a low body fat or strong muscles. Being fit will help you lead a more productive life.
from Martin Rooney on Men’s Health Blog
