Perspective of the Day - Dec 24- You Need a Release!

Working Out. To me, there is nothing like a good sweat. When you are kicking the shit out of yourself, it’s hard to think about your balance sheet. In the most difficult of days of my company, in early 2009, I would arrive at my office at 6 a.m. and jump on the Stairmaster we had in the gym in our office. Every day I would set it to the highest level and sweat my ass off. It was cathartic. Some of the best workouts I had were during the toughest times because my mind was completely elsewhere. Every single day going in and breaking a sweat was a huge release.

My Niece and Nephew. The time I spent with my brother’s kids was magical. My brother and his wife had their place on 52^nd Street in Manhattan and I would go there Saturdays around 3 p.m. and watch them until about 7 p.m. Seeing their young faces allowed me to take a step back and get lost in their joy. Seeing them take joy in the basics of life left me with energy to take on the challenges of being an entrepreneur. My brother and sister-in-law thought I was helping them by giving them a few hours to themselves. They were helping me a lot more by helping reorient my perspective.

Dad’s Trip to New York City for Twenty Years. My Mom and Dad were from the Bronx. When they had me, they moved to Freehold, New Jersey, 60 miles south of New York City where my Dad worked. It was his plan to get a job in central New Jersey closer to home where companies were building headquarters. Fortunately, he had a good job and never left his job in New York City until he retired in 1985. For twenty years, he boarded the bus on Route 9 in Freehold and rode the ninety minute drive into New York City to his office on Madison Avenue. Twice a day, each day, ninety minutes each way, for years. Now that’s grit. Now that’s dedication. What I was doing paled in comparison. Every time I felt soft, I remembered the sacrifice he made.

Bikram Yoga. After my day that started at 6 a.m., I would go to the 8:45 p.m. Bikram Yoga class at 83^rd and 3^rd in Manhattan. Ninety minutes. 105 degrees. It was a great release.

The Greatest Generation and D-Day. It always bothered me that our generation and today’s generation did not realize the courage of our parent’s generation. The sacrifices that they made to make the America we know is too often forgotten. This was especially true of the military and of World War II and D-Day. I remembered the stories of soldiers storming the beaches at Normandy, knowing there was a good chance they would die minutes after they got there. Imagine the courage. Imagine the sacrifice. Not even sure we can. If you get the chance, read about it, go to the World War II museum in New Orleans or watch Saving Private Ryan. To this day, every Memorial Day, I sneak away from whatever barbecue or event I am at and sit for a few hours at a local Memorial Day service. For some reason, this helped me get back on track when I was struggling.