Have you ever engaged in a process or participated in an event where your primary motivation to get involved was to “give back”? A task where you felt like you should get connected; it was your civic or patriotic duty? A particular group or organization that shares your beliefs, ethics and mindset declared a call to action and you felt obligated to support those who once supported you when you were in need? Or maybe just in general speaking, with respect to “paying it forward” or regarding Karma, you have experienced a great journey thus far in life and you felt it was appropriate to “spread the love”?

In my life, I have personally felt the need to serve and give back because I have had some favor and others have supported, guided and directed me in my foggiest hours. Each and every time I have attempted to give back and support someone or something else, I felt as if I was the one who received the benefit from the connection. I have friends who have served at shelters and retirement homes because they wanted to help others, and 9 out of 10 times, they tell me they had a meaningful conversation or some type of positive interaction with the group or person they were initially intending to support.

Here’s how I explain this theory; quite simply, Iron Sharpens Iron. In the unselfish process of trying to support others, we tend to receive immense amounts of benefit and joy. With good and decent intentions in hand, we often receive not only pleasure from helping others; in addition we obtain benefit unintentionally.
In the two, soon to be three Anytime Fitness’s (AF) we own, we are implementing a club-to-community wide challenge to nominate and eventually award a non-member in each community a “healthy contribution” to the most deserving individual. The “healthy contribution” will consist of an earned 12-month membership at our AF and on Anytime Health (AH), personal training sessions, supplements from AH, a customized “roadmap to success” and all the accountability and coaching these individuals can handle.

Our surface-level goal is to award a sponsored, lifestyle enhancement to a selected individual in each community. The real beauty and true initiative of this challenge is that by current members reviewing their personal network, they will be nominating future potential members that will no-doubt serve as motivation and accountability on their own quest for a healthier lifestyle. By having our current members support their friends, family, co-workers, and peers with their fitness goals, eating habits, and general lifestyle routine, they will be pushed, motivated, and encouraged to accomplish their goals.

As stated by Rebecca DeRosset in a recent AH article titled “Strength in Numbers”, I firmly believe there is strength in numbers. The accountability, support and motivation can be measured in this theory of Iron Sharpening Iron. So, with that said… who are you sharpening and making stronger and who’s sharpening you?