Worthy Goals Require Sacrifices

Larry Birnbaum, PhD, EPC
Associate Professor
Department of Exercise Physiology
The College of St. Scholastica
Duluth, MN55811

As a child, May was one of my favorite months.It signaled the end of school and the beginning of the fishing season.It also included a rather somber day, Memorial Day, the day we honored those who had given the ultimate sacrifice.It seemed the entire town attended services.Since my dad was a WWII veteran and a member of the local American Legion post, attending services was an expectation of our family.I did not mind.I had friends to mingle with and the parade was kind of neat.As I grew older though, the events became routine and a bit boring.Alas, I was a teenager then.I would have rather spent my time fishing.Still I attended the services out of respect for my dad and those who had died fighting so I could enjoy the freedom to fish, not to mention so many other freedoms.It was a trivial but important sacrifice, and it made me feel good inside. I had learned a valuable lesson.Doing something good for others provides an intrinsic reward, a reward that has no price tag and can only be understood by those who have experienced the same. I also knew it was the right thing to do, and doing the right thing often requires sacrifice. At some point in time, I learned that achieving worthy goals also required sacrifices.For example, earning a college degree required a lot of hard work, a lot of time spent studying rather than playing.

There is a lesson here for all of us, including exercise physiologists.Exercise physiologists no doubt worked hard and sacrificed to earn their degrees.Upon graduation, perhaps many expected life to be easier.After all, they did the work and made the necessary sacrifices.Life should be easier now with a good job and free time after work to enjoy rather than studying or writing a paper.The fact is that life always requires sacrifices and hard work, that is if one’s life is going to be worthwhile.That is not to say that we can never play, but rather that we must be willing to consistently work hard and make certain sacrifices to achieve goals that are important for our lives and the lives of others.As exercise physiologists, we must be willing to serve others in order to advance the health of the nation’s population and to advance the profession itself.The good news is that we can earn a salary accomplishing the former, but the latter goal requires a personal commitment, a mark of a true professional.That personal commitment may involve meeting with other exercise physiologists to organize a state chapter of ASEP and/or to work for licensure. It may involve speaking to target populations about the benefits of exercise or explaining the possibilities in health care to other exercise physiologists who are feeling disenfranchised and are looking for something more than their current job offers. I may prefer to spend that time fishing, playing golf, or watching a game, but because the professional advancement of exercise physiology is a worthy goal, I am willing to make some sacrifices.I will still get out fishing and enjoy other leisurely activities, but I will commit some of my free time to my chosen profession.It is the least I can do for others (i.e., exercise physiologists and those who benefit from our services), it is intrinsically rewarding, and it is the right thing to do.

I have a much better understanding now of how much attending Memorial Day services meant to my dad and all the other veterans living in the community.I’m glad I made that little sacrifice. In this spirit, I encourage all exercise physiologists to commit some of their free time to work with their peers to advance the field.Volunteer to speak to school children about the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition.Better still, volunteer to help implement an exercise program in your neighborhood school.It will make you feel good inside.If it seems the sacrifice is too great, consider the veterans who gave their lives for a far greater cause!

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