30 Things I'm Thankful for at 30

<from facebook post earlier this week>

Thinking about all of the things I am thankful for as I turn the big 3.0 this week and couldn't imagine being a luckier guy.

List isn't necessarily in any particular order but scratches the surface on all that I appreciate in my life and the impact that all of you have!

Enjoy:

1. Megan Drake for her never-ending support of me and all that I want from life. I couldn't ask for a more amazing wife and I'm glad I suckered you into liking me back at FAU 😉 <<<more for you below so keep reading>>>

2. My Parents - somehow they knew what they were doing and gave me everything I needed in life. Chip Diggs and Elizabeth Diggs I can't even tell you how much I love you and am lucky to call you my parents. You have set the bar high 😉

3. My health - Just to be able to get up and walk and move and sweat everyday is amazing. I can't imagine what life would be like without this and when I get stressed about the details of life this always gives me perspective.

4. My siblings - Cass Diggs, Drake Dustin, Tiffany Steward, I might have wanted to kill you all along the way and don't always do a great job of talking regularly but you guys rock. I am thankful for how different but amazing that you all turned out because being around you has taught me a lot through the years. You are all three amazing people and I am so proud of each of you. Thanks for being great!

5. My Coaches - I can't count the life lessons learned and the impact that some of these guys had on me but I am forever grateful. Coach V (Chiara Valadez), Wade Walker, Coach Klein, Mark Hittner, Dan King, Lee Plunkett, just know that you all have had a huge impact on a lot of men over the years. I appreciate you and there's something about each of you that still lives with me in how I approach life, hard work, and the people around me.

6. The chances I have been given - I have no doubt worked hard and made the most of the situations I have been in but it would be silly to think there hasn't been some luck along the way and people who believed in me. I believe that you can continue to make your own "luck" but I am also honest with myself to say I am a heck of a lucky dude. Life has been good to me and I'll be damned if I waste it!

7. Living on a farm - In their wild plan to raise us as good people my parents were off their rocker and decided to move us to a farm when I was younger. I can't be more thankful now because it's an experience that has shaped my perspective on life. From raising calves in our basement, to training a cow, to hunting in the woods with my brother it was one of the coolest times of my life.

8. The ability to travel - My dad working for the airlines throughout my life has allowed me to travel a lot more than most. From great conversations with strangers on airplanes to visiting iconic baseball stadiums with my Dad, I am thankful for all of it. Even the multiple day layovers flying standby.

9. Competition - I am thankful for the people and things that have pushed me throughout my life. I have always loves competition, in the classroom, in life, on the field, you name it. I think it's part of being human and I love the chance to compete when I can. It makes me feel alive and I think too many of us avoid it for fear of failure or how "others will think about us" but I know it's the only path to an amazing life.

10. For my parents pushing me - Anything less than a B was unacceptable and coming in last wan't ok if you were capable of doing more. I can't say too much because I'm not a parent yet but I see a lot of people being soft on their kids and their loved ones. YOU HAVE TO PUSH the people in your life because if my parents didn't challenge me to get better at everything early on in life....I don't think I would have just picked up on it by accident. I may have been mad at the time but I couldn't be more thankful now for them riding my butt my entire life.

11. For my parents believing in me - If they didn't know I was capable of amazing things they never would have pushed me. They go hand in hand. I have had a lot of people believe in me far beyond what I believed in myself at the time and it catapulted my mind to what's possible.

12. Getting Paid to do What I Love - I can't imagine waking up at 4am everyday and loving anything like I do working in Fitness. I am thankful to get to work with people on a daily basis and know I have found my life's calling.

13. Getting to learn from clients - I selfishly love the fitness industry and personal training because of all of the amazing people I have gotten to meet and learn from over the years. There are too many to list but you have all had a massive impact on my perspective on life and I love learning from every one of you. You are phenomenal and I am thankful to have gotten to interact with you. I couldn't come close to naming everyone but Julia Lee Higgs, Carla Busick, Eric Busick, Mina Buyukhanli, Piero Bussani, Jessica Barr Milden, Amy Harris Talkow, Heidi Cohen, Pam Kennedy Casanave, Chris Wayman, Chris Palermo, Jenna Simon, Anthony N Dardano, and the list goes on!

14. For my bosses - I have learned a lot from the people who kept me in check over the years and have had some amazing role models. Some of whom gave me the chances I mentioned above and who definitely saw something more in me and helped me grow. Erin Wilson, JoJo, Dax Kuykendall, Eric Hawkes, Sue Limestall, and so many more.

15. For the The Gravity + Oxygen Fitness Crew - The Gravity + Oxygen Fitness Crew has been an amazing journey so far and I am so thankful for the ridiculous awesome community that makes things special. You all are why I do what I do and I couldn't be more thankful for your trust and community.

16. For the special people that make-up Team G+O Fitness - All those who have been on the team at some point and are a part of this un-matchable squad of passionate, fun, and hardworking band of fitness junkies. I am thankful every single one of you. Megan Drake, Josh Matthews, Priscilla Rojas, Flavia Fernandes, Andie Galinis, Emma Boyd, Lauren Isaacson, Cristina Olivia, Kaitlyn Smith, Beshoi Rizk, Helem Petit-Frere, Shannon Gallagher, Stephanie Strong, Danielle Heemskerk, Matthew Close, Andre Drummond, Kimi Hohl

17. For my business partner Paul Christopher - I am thankful for our differences in perspective and ability to compromise and come together. I'm thankful for your trust in me from the beginning and willingness to build something great with me and support in all of the things I want to do inside and outside of the Fitness Industry. You are a true fitness brother and am thankful to be on a path towards greatness with you brother!

18. For meeting David Crump - Dave! Brother man, you have been an important part of my life over these past 5-6 years and I am so thankful that we met (in the funniest of ways). I know now that we were meant to cross paths and I am forever thankful for our friendship, your mentorship, your trust, and your support. I know that we are just getting started on a path to creating massive impact and change in the world and I dig having you around.

19. The YMCA - This is the place that got me hooked on fitness back in middle school! I used to spend 3-4 hours at a time there and it was my first job in fitness. I am thankful for all of the people that were there and the impact it had on my entire family!

20. To have a wife that share my passion with me - Megan Drake is one of the hardest working and greatest Personal Trainers and Fitness Pros that I know and I am constantly thankful to get to share my life with someone who is also so passionate about people and what she does. She inspires me on a daily basis and I couldn't be more proud to call her my wife (for so many reasons),

21. Thankful I sold everything when I moved to Florida - I went through a phase when I first moved to Florida and I sold my car and television and decided to bike everywhere and disconnect more. I have since entered back into the normal world of owning a vehicle, lol but not without a fight. It taught me that it's ok and actually great to feel uncomfortable sometimes. Too often we avoid discomfort AT ALL COSTS but it's the daily adversity and struggle that drives growth. It might sound silly but getting caught in the rain on my bike and having to carry home groceries in my backpack kept me humble in a place like South Florida when it's easy to get caught in shallow pursuits. I am thankful I had the experience and thankful Megan Drake liked me enough to date me without a car haha 😉 It's how I knew she was a keeper.

22. Getting to teach - I am thankful I had the opportunity to teach in college and early on because I LOVE IT. I was originally going to become a history teacher in college but found I could teach in an entirely different way through fitness.

23. My life situation - I am thankful and extremely lucky to have never truly experienced poverty or disaster like so many in the world have. I'm thankful to have been born into a hardworking middle class family that didn't have a ton but I never really "wanted" for anything. I realize how lucky I am and am thankful it has put me in a place to try and make the world a better place in my own way.

24. Other "Fire Breathing Dragons" out there in the fitness world striving to make a difference in people. You all inspire me daily and remind me of what's possible when we work together and challenge each other to get better. Allan Prince I love our talks about life and changing the game, Wade Waddick I love your commitment and hard work and the list goes on Todd Durkin, Jonathan Larkin, Nick Tumminello, Jarod Cogswell, Ralph R Roberts, Brandi Binkley, Frank Pucher, my entire Spark Team TDMM, Robert Linkul, Lindsay Vastola, Alex Marks, David Macchi, Grant Powles, Rory Knight,

25. To be able to be active outdoors - Between living in Florida and spending a week in Oregon with my smoking hot wife, I am so thankful to be able to experience the world. There is something so amazing about the feeling of the sun on your skin and sweat on your body as I'm hiking or biking along the beach. I am thankful I get to experience it regularly and will try to prioritize it even more over the next 30 years.

26. Thankful for my friends - I can be driven to a fault and fail to prioritize my friendships so I'm thankful to have friends in my life who understand what I am looking to accomplish in life and have no problem picking up right where we left off. Reid Fleming you have become like a brother to me and one of the greatest guys I know. Vincent Vitatoe I love that we can connect after 5 years and not skip a beat, Nick Morlan I can't imagine growing up without you and can't wait for you to get married next month! Matt Clair, Mark Krejcarek, Alex Gulick, Joe Eich, Laura Canteri, Kyle, Ehren Manz, JR Boling, Ryan Musille, (and many more)

27. For having a great father - I mentioned my parents above but I am thankful for Chip Diggs as I couldn't have had a better role model and Dad. I'm at the point where I realize I have become him (bad jokes and all) but I love it. I am thankful that he always challenged the heck out of me and shaped my mindset of positivity and a responsibility to help others. I'm also thankful for his wicked mustache which I realize now is where he holds all his power.

28. Thankful for having the most amazing mother - Elizabeth Diggs is who I get my never ending work ethic from. She's the hardest working woman I know, from waiting tables to take care of my brother and I, to raising a group of hell-ians, to going back to school and dominating, to becoming a CPA, to rebuilding houses and of course taking care of Chip....she's nothing short of amazing.

She used to literally put on catchers gear and go in the back yard and catch for me so I could practice pitching....I mean come on that's pretty awesome. She is the most selfless person I know and I am so thankful for her in me life. I love you madre!

29. Thankful to be here in 2017 - I truly believe we live in the most exciting times in human history. I don't mean because of Facebook (ironic) or entertainment but because of what is possible and the challenges we face. Our ability to connect and collect knowledge and information has never been so vast. I love having access to the knowledge of nearly all human existence at my finger tips.....but with that we are at a challenging crossroads as a collective. What will we do with the knowledge of history and what's to come? I'm excited to be alive in a time when I believe we will see which direction the momentum shifts.

30. You - I am thankful for you. If you have made it to this point in my post then you are a part of my circle and my tribe. We don't have to be the best of friends, maybe we are just acquaintances, or maybe we haven't even met yet. We must have connected over something though or we wouldn't be talking right now. Regardless I am thankful for you. I believe in what you are capable of and I want you to be a part of my challenge and journey throughout the next 30 years.

My challenge to you and myself is to leave things better than we found them. Expect more from the people around us, but help them to live up to it. Be conscious of the impact you can have on people as so many above have had on me. And lastly, be thankful!

Much love you guys and thanks for helping to make the first 30 years of my life more than I could have ever hoped for.