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Dai Manuel’s Whole Life Fitness Manifesto

Of course, I’d always apologize when I went home to Christie and my girls. I’d acknowledge that I wasn’t the dad or husband I aspired to be, and ask for their forgive-ness. And until they felt ready to forgive me, I wasn’t myself.

My family bond is the mortar between the bricks and tiles of my house—and I’m their wall, too.

Christie and I now have a rule in our home, and I encourage you to adopt it in yours. Our family mantra is, “Fight fast; make up faster!” We might disagree and even argue once in a while, but we make a point of getting it all out on the table, leav-ing nothing to chance or second guesses. We strive to get to the understanding and agreement quickly, and move on. This has worked wonders for us, and I know it can help you, too. Just try it and see how it affects the quality of your relationships. If I’m wrong, so be it. (But let’s not fight about it… lol.)

Faith

For many people, the word faith is synonymous with God and religion, but my defi-nition is much broader. Faith is the underlying principle of believing in something beyond yourself. This could be as simple as a belief in the essential goodness of humankind, or a sense of inter-connectedness with all living things. It’s this spirit, this positive driving force and sense of purpose that fuels your courage as well as your optimism in life.

The meaning that we make of our everyday lives is what gives us a sense of direc-tion, which is so crucial to feeling fulfilled. You wouldn’t jump into your car and drive without a destination in mind. The same can be said of our lives when we make deci-sions by default, without giving them much thought. Doesn’t it make sense to be more conscious about what we are doing and where we are going?

My sense of direction comes from my desire to create positive energy and help people. I have faith that other people feel the same way, wanting to be part of a movement to eliminate, or at least reduce, stress.

I take a leaf out of my daughters’ book. Christie and I have raised them to have a positive mindset, which has seemed to help them make new friends quickly. When we take them to the park, they’re open and friendly toward the other kids because they

Surrounding ourselves with quality people is key to my family.