The title here is the beginning of the Marines’ recruiting slogan. The Marines’ slogan ends with, of course, “the brave,” but it didn’t seem to fit here, because I’m talking about those who do BFL!

As much as I would like to say that bravery counts in a good BFL challenge, it is pretty much minimal. Oh, there are those “brave” moments when we do things we should have done all along, such as standing up to the morons who continually try to sabotage our challenge by bringing us chocolate chip cookies and Krispy Kreme donuts.

Truly, to become the transformed person we want to be, what it is really going to take is persistence. Persistence is simply gutting it out, and continuing to do the same positive type of activities over and over and over again, whether you feel like it or not. It is working harder, not longer. It is eating right, not skipping meals to make up for those little binges. It is writing notes in a diary, even when you really feel like you don’t have much to say, and even though the exercise routine changed very little.

Persistence is accepting the fact that much of a challenge is just plain mundane. There is little glory in this, getting up early to sweat alone in a dingy basement, or knocking out a resistance training workout while your friends are all watching the game down at the local bar after work!

So, why do it then? The money? It doesn’t last, and the IRS gets a big chunk of it anyway. The jacket? I’ve got to admit that is pretty cool, but I’ve probably worn mine about a grand total of twenty times since winning it over a year ago! The trophies and the big party at the Expo? That was pretty cool, but that too has long faded away! The body? Well, that isn’t something you get to keep–it still needs that persistence thing.

I don’t know “for sure” about the rest of you, but I do it for the love of the entire Body for Life program. That means YOU! I do this, and keep doing this, because it gets me excited to see you change! It excites me to see you catch a vision, to act on it, and to become completely empowered by it! I do it to see great things like the terrific transformation that Reagan from Illinois just finished! She hardly even looks like the same person in the before and afters–a fabulous result!

And I hope that’s why you do it, too. Actually, I know that is the case for most of you, and that’s why you are the FEW and the PROUD, because you have hung in there, and your PERSISTENCE has paid off, not only for yourselves, but for others as well! Way to go, readers, way to go!