42) Don’t Throw in the Towel

Have you ever felt friction with the people around you? Friends or people in your local town?

I was talking to my wife about it, and she said, “It’s because you don’t throw in the towel.”

I asked her what she meant. She said, “The way you operate. The way you keep yourself in shape. Trying to dunk a basketball at your age. You don’t throw in the towel.”

What does throwing in the towel mean? It means you quit.

Why can’t you be in the best shape of your life at 30, 40, or 50? Why can’t you have the abs you’ve always wanted? Why can’t I dunk the basketball the way I always dreamed? The truth is, I don’t think I ever reached my full jumping potential. So I doubled down and went to work.

You want to get better, don’t you? You’re not reading this because you want to get worse. I’m not willing to throw in the towel. I want to play with my kids for as long as possible. I want to be healthy, capable, and moving until I’m 100. Throwing in the towel puts pressure on people — because discipline creates pressure.

So don’t throw it in.

You want to know how you influence friends and family not to quit? You don’t preach. You become the example. You won’t reach everyone, but you will inspire someone. That’s a fact.

I’m going to keep pushing my limits, and you should too.