I can imagine some people throwing shade on the Gold's Gym reference, but Gold's Gym in Chicago saved my ass years ago when I was a young man. Back then, Gold Gym was no frills. Just a buncha guys (in those days, yes, guys) lifting weights. I must have weighed 130 with wet clothes on. At nearly 6 feet tall.

Lifted weights every day. The dudes there didn't point and laugh like I was sure they would on my first day. It took every ounce of courage I could muster to enter that gym for the first time. But guys in that gym helped me learn how to breathe right, move my body in a smooth motion, how to, well, lift.

Today, I'm in my 60s at 220 or so. I could stand to lose a few pounds thanks to my pizza and ice cream cravings, but I still work out a lot. I gained about 50 pounds during that initial 3 or 4 year period when I started at Gold's.

It took a LOT of effort. Today, everything I do is based on the principle that each day we tear up a little muscle fiber to build ourselves into better humans. Some of that is mental lifting. I've had some serious setbacks on the way to my current age, but I keep applying those principles anyway.

Because it works. I don't know how much or how little I agree with the social media aspect of this article, because I don't think it matters much.

The takeaway for me is the need to understand that change and success is almost always incremental, and is based on perseverance, tenacity, and dedication to the goals at hand.

Thanks for that.