The More You Do It, the More You Will Do It

By: Kevan Worley

CEO, Worley Enterprises

Standing at my desk, thoroughly enjoying the first week of our WE Fit Wellness adventure, I am reflecting on my own journey into the pursuit of greater wellness in body, mind, and spirit. I am definitely not the model for physical fitness but I am working at it. I do not have all of the solutions for emotional and professional growth but I am working at it. I am definitely not a fitness guru; not by any stretch of the imagination. We have experts for that. I am an entrepreneur. We have some successes in which we take great pride. I am now in a position to establish a model for the inclusion of others to increase quality of life in a socially responsible and entrepreneurial manner. We are gratified by this.

We have hired an expert to direct our new WE Fit Wellness program. Jessica Beecham has extraordinary credentials and experience. She works out and works hard. We hope everyone reading this first blog post will get to know her well in the years to come. We have also hired Ben White of Vending Insights. Ben is a professor and practitioner with hands-on success in the art and science of pleasing customers, improving profit, and providing abundant choice in health and wellness options in the vending and concessions environment.

When thinking about my journey, I recall with relish, how much I enjoyed my athletic endeavors as a youngster. I loved track and field. I loved competing on the wrestling mat. Although totally blind I was exuberant at the skating rink, competitive at the bowling alley, combative in goal ball. I can not recall a time when I was not a rambunctious kid, running, jumping, and climbing. But, alas, like many of us, with age, education, work, family, and community obligations I became desk bound. The funny thing is that in my 50s I still retained the mistaken notion that I could do now what I did then. My internal self-image was that I was still the 17 year old wrestling champion. Boy was I mistaken! One day, I went to the gym with some buddies to play the game of goal ball. I brought my ego and competitive spirit. Unfortunately, I did not bring a fit, youthful body. It did not take long for me to realize that I was 70 pounds heavier, 35 years later. I was slower. I could not run, jump, or lunge like I once could. I hurt more. So I slunk back to my desk, defeated, with a coca-cola, big mac, and an apple pie.

Only in recent times did I come to read more about how sitting, lack of movement, and the typical Western diet is killing us. I observed members of my community of people with disabilities laboring under obesity, lack of employment, excluded from fitness and leisure opportunities through their own lack of confidence, lack of information, or systemic discrimination. As a long-time social activist and entrepreneur, with at least SOME common sense, I sought to change my personal circumstance and to do what I could to create possibilities for others.

Over this past year, I began to read everything I could about nutrition and exercise. As a concessionaire I began to implement some of the best strategies to bring healthy choices to my customers. I became inspired by the energy, knowledge, and the ‘you can do it’ attitude of Jessica Beecham. We established an effort to encourage all of the WE team associates to get more fit.

I have now lost 35 pounds but, more importantly I have dramatically shifted my eating habits. I am not perfect. It is a journey. I work out almost every day. I started small. I began to realize that “the more you do it, the more you will do it.” It sounds silly or simplistic or maybe apparent but, with me, at least, it rings true. I found that if I could get to 20 minutes on the treadmill I would find the energy and impetus to do another 10. We think this is the kind of rational, motivating, step-by-step strategy we can take to build WE Fit Wellness. It is the approach we will teach and try our best to inspire. WE hope you will join us in our quest, to learn for yourself, and motivate others to make wellness accessible, affordable, and achievable. Help us make wellness the right fit for everyone! I look forward to writing more on this blog about our journey and yours.