After high school, I was blessed to have many different options and paths I could choose to travel down. It took a lot of self evaluation, some outside insight, and a lot of inner meditation to figure out exactly what I was meant to do with my life.
Finishing up my junior year, I was faced with either joining the military or going off to college to play baseball. Those were my only two real options I gave myself. I knew I had greatness inside of me that I needed to share with the world, but I didn't know exactly how to go about it. I wasn't sure exactly what my purpose was. All I knew was that I was an 18 year old looking to find his way in the world.
I ultimately made the decision to join the United States Air Force because I felt that was my purpose at that point in my life. Unfortunately, the universe thought otherwise. I was untimely medically discharged after several months. It was nothing serious, however, it did throw my life completely off balance. I came home unsure of what I was going to do. Being 19, living at home with my parents and not 100% sure of anything, this really threw a wrench in my game plan.
I was sure of one thing though:
I still knew I was destined to do great things. I knew my life still had purpose and meaning, but how exactly was I going to express it?
To make a long story long, a year later I decided to commute to Penn State Altoona, a local branch campus in my hometown. I was still unsure if this was the right decision for me at this point in my life. I didn't have a major picked out. I didn't know anything about how the whole college process worked. I was pretty much going in blind with nothing to lose.
Two weeks before classes started in August of freshmen year, I started thinking of who I was going to be in college. How was I going to leave my legacy? What was I going to belong to? Or what wasn't I going to be a part of? Here came all the inner meditation and reflective thinking again.
I thought back to the times where I had the most fun in high school. I grew up playing baseball and that was my biggest passion. It's what I was known for. If you heard my name, it was usually usually in the same sentence as the sport. That's who I was.
But that wasn't all I was. In high school I ended up joining the swim team as well. I was never a good swimmer growing up and couldn't really keep myself afloat until junior year of high school when I decided to enroll in the swim gym class held the first part of the year.
There I learned, not only how to swim, but how to love to swim. I ultimately joined the swim team my senior year of high school and was a knack at it! I made the best of friends, some of whom I am still friends with today. And not only that, but I was challenged mentally harder than I had ever been in my life. I loved every second of it.
Thinking back to being an athlete in high school, I was determined to be one in college too, even if it was Division III (I gave up playing Division I baseball to swim division III - and I ultimately played Division III baseball, too). If anything, growing up I thought for sure I would've been a collegiate baseball player, not a swimmer! However, I can't quite describe the feeling of being on a swim team gave me, but it was the most incredible sense of camaraderie I had ever felt.
Two weeks before classes started I decided to make the decision and meet with the swim coach at Penn State Altoona, still not sure if I were making the right decision. I sat down with him for a half hour, discussed my event times, my past, and what it would take to earn a walk-on spot on his roster this upcoming year. He told me there would be a team meeting a couple weeks after classes started and come to that if I were serious about trying out.
So I did. I went to the meeting, still a little hesitant if I were making the right decision to play a college sport. I had a lot going on in my life. I was working a full time job, taking full time classes, and still trying to fit in time for my friends and family. Priorities needed to be kept in line and that was not my strong suit. But it's what coach said there that made all the difference in my life. It was at that meeting that my perception about life and how I treat my priorities forever changed.
If you were to meet this man, you would immediately be intimated. He has a very militaristic mindset and personality. There's no room for excuses. He's hard, but fair. However, he is also one of the kindest men I've ever met. His sense of humor is one of a kind and takes a little getting used to but it's hilarious nonetheless!
As I sat there and listened to him talk, I could tell he was a person who had his priorities in line. When he talked, you listened. There was a sense of pride in his voice that made you want to listen. And it's what he said next that really changed how I live my life…
He said, and I'm paraphrasing a bit, that if you want to be successful on this team, you need to have your priorities in line. Period. You won't be successful on this team, or in life, unless you have your priorities straight. To be a part of this team you have four priorities right now in your life. And if you get any one of them out of order, then you won't succeed.
The FFAA Principle
1. Faith
He said first and foremost, your number one priority needs to be your faith.
Ultimately we are all going to have hard times in life, without a doubt. But if you can keep your faith, it will make those hard times seem not as bad. Faith is something no one can take away from you. It's yours! If you ever lose your faith, then you've lost yourself. You don't need to be religious, he said, to have faith. You just need to believe in you and your abilities. Because without that, you will never be successful on this team or in life.
2. Family & Friends
The second 'F' was family and friends.
That's your second priority right now in your life. He said, without them you wouldn't be here today. You didn't get to college by yourself. Your loved ones helped get you here and will be the shoulder you need to cry on when things get hard. Without them, life isn't as meaningful. Except for your faith and the belief that you have in yourself, your friends and family need to come first.
3. Academics
He said your third priority is academics.
You are student-athletes. Student comes before athlete. You are potential division III athletes and you're not here on a scholarship. Your education comes first. Even if you were here on a scholarship, your academics are even more important. It's what you fill your mind with that will give you all the power you need to be great and make a difference in this world. You can be the most amazing athlete in the world, but if you don't have an education and choose to better the world because of what you have learned, then it's a wasted life.
4. Athletics
And last, he said, your final priority needs to be athletics.
If you can keep your faith when times get hard, stay close with your family and friends, put 100 percent effort into your academics, and then give the rest of what you have left to me and this team, then you will be successful. If you can keep those four priorities in line and never stray too far, you will be successful in life, and on this team. He said for those of you who don't think you can keep these priorities in line, then here's the door.
I sat there and listened to every word. It was the first time in years that things started to make sense.
It was at that exact moment I knew I finally made the right decision. I knew that I was pursuing something I believed in and would make me great. I didn't have all the answers, but I knew I was on the right path. He helped to clear my head and organize my priorities that night. It's what has helped me get through my entire six years of college. The FFAA principle was what I thought about everyday as I went to class, worked, swam, and lived my life. And it's what I think about to this day.
Needless to say, I went on to make the team and became co-captain my sophomore year. And because of those principles, I was able to play collegiate baseball as well. All within a year of joining college and not knowing what I was going to do, I ended up being a dual-sport collegiate athlete and loving every minute of it. If it weren't for that moment, I know without a doubt I wouldn't have been a swimmer, a beach lifeguard, or as passionate about health as I am today. It truly was the catalyst for all the success I've earned up until now.
And if you're out there saying to yourself, "that's great but I'm not a college student, these principles don't apply to me", let me rephrase them for you. Think of them like this:
Your first priority is still your faith. No matter where you are in life, you have to believe in yourself. If you don't, I've come to learn that everything you aspire to do is a lot harder to achieve.
Your second priority is still your friends and family. They are your rock! I know you can think of at least 5 people that mean more to you than anything in this world. Without a doubt, you would drop whatever it is that you're doing in order to help them. If you don't have that right now in your life, and I say this with love, maybe you need to rethink your priorities.
Third, is growth and education. Whether you're a student or not, you should always continue to grow and want to achieve a better version of yourself. Continue to change, grow yourself, and help change the world with the knowledge you acquire. That's what's going to make life meaningful.
And last, but certainly not least, is your health. If you don't have your health, then what do you have? If you are struggling with your health right now, it's not too late. It's never too late. It just takes small, daily changes day after day to form habits. And after awhile, our habits form us. I truly believe that.
The FFAA principle has really shifted the way I think about my life. My swim coach at Penn State Altoona was the best coach I've ever had, and you can see why. If it weren't for him, that meeting, the long days of arduous practices, and the choice to try out for that team, I have no idea where my life would be right now.
Priorities are something we all can work on. All it takes is a little self evaluation, personal management (not necessarily time management), and honesty with yourself and you'll see your priorities, and life, start to improve.
If you enjoyed this little write up, then you will love my weekly emails! I send out a few stories a month that have really shaped my life and reframe them to help you with yours. My grandfather who recently passed away was a great storyteller. It was what he was best known for. He laughed with his whole body and when he told a story, you couldn’t help but stay in the moment and listened.
It was because of him I learned the power of true story telling and I want to share that gift with you. Just use the form below and subscribe to my weekly newsletter. You’ll get great stories, giveaways, supplements I’m loving, and so much more!
Enjoying This Content?
Join our weekly newsletter to receive exclusive content like the latest articles, episodes, recipes, and access to our Ultimate Autoimmune Reset™!
Thank you for being a part of this mission with me and I’d love it if you left a comment below and let me know your thoughts about this article. Feel free to share it out with those who you feel need it most.
For more 1:1 coaching by me, be sure to sign up for my Ultimate Autoimmune Reset™!
