Leveling Up My Life

[Benners]

Salutations my fellow travelers,

 

I have found myself finally joining the NF community after years of wandering through my quest log distracted from the main quest. I've known of Nerd Fitness since 2012 when I thought the idea of forging fitness and gaming together and so I stumbled across Steve's site, Nerd Fitness. Overwhelmed by the chaos of life during that time my side questing began and today I approach the gates shouting, I'm ready! 

 

I didn't realize it at the time but the years ahead of me would prove to be my most challenging story line to date. Having worked tiresome jobs for disgruntled employers and having met other wonderful travelers, I struggled with the purpose of life. "This can't be what life is meant to be?", "My life isn't going to be lived within the walls of others adventures". And so my entire world fumbled from day to day attempting to sort out my purpose, my position in life, and who I am meant to serve. One thing was always certain, I was and will never live my life by the limited beliefs of others.

 

With such a profound thought poking a prodding at my brain, I realized a few things over these past number of years, 1) my life isn't meant to be spent working for others being supressed and unable to unleash my full potential, 2) since graduating college (having attended four separate times) I do not place my trust in the educational system, rather in myself to forge academics and passion together. These revelations took many moons to realize, as obvious as they may be to others. Some parts of a quest are already in possession of some, where others need to grind out a little time to accumulate these items. 

 

One thing that was always consistent however was the gym. In fact I had intended to compete in a men's physique show in 2014, but the beginning of my educational journey began and so my time reduced drastically. Working out and nutrition remained consistent for a while heading into school, but quickly I found myself overwhelmed and worn out. By the end of my first semester I had almost quit the gym entirely and my nutrition was limited to a couple meals a day and garbage food as fuel. I work at a supplement store so my knowledge surrounding supplements in abouve average and as such I was able to manipulate supplements to help keep parts of my physique... for a time. 

 

This was just the beginning, a new year imminent to bestow it's will and lessons upon me. Had I remained a Monk and kept up with my meditation and nightly routines I may have better dealt with the coming months. Fourteen days following my 25th birthday I got news that my Mom wasn't doing well and that I had better go visit her. 

ADDITIONAL QUEST LOG DETAILS: My Mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) when I was five years old and during my entire life her MS progressed until 2009 when she had to be placed into a nursing home for proper care.

 

March 7th, 2015 I visited my Mom for the last time. I stood there in denial telling myself today wasn't the day, it couldn't be. It crushed me to think my mom, the one who introduced me to stories, fantasy, imagination, creativity, life, was sipping at air. My entire life I had watched her work on a fantasy story, which had my Dad picking up books from the library every night for research purposes. She wrote pages of notes, but a day came where her quest line got harder, and her hands lost all feeling and movement. Her story, her writings locked away in a drawer. But she knew the power of perseverance and though she now had to be fed her meals, her story was not yet done being developed. She took to recording her story ideas on cassette tapes - and so she recorded.

 

But, as time went on her mind slipped and her story remained locked away in her mind where she would reference her characters until she could no longer talk. This progression of her story is apart of my story and part of my driving force to have the focus I currently posses. 

 

A few months after she passed away I developed an athletic apparel company that focuses on empowering the wearer and those around. I have since added the development of a Podcast which I am titling The Legacy Leaders Podcast, which focuses on interviewing individuals travelling through their life and questioning what their legacy is, how and what they do to define their existence. The motto I developed was to empower your purpose and define your legacy. It became very clear to me after the passing of my Mom that time, right now, this moment we call the present, is but a fleeting moment in the grand scope of earths lifespan. With these limited moments what do we do to live a life worth having lived? What are we doing today to leave behind a legacy that stretches the span of time, whether it be globally or within your family? What empowers your to wake up every morning to hustle, to take on each day as the magic of the unknown reveals itself each passing moment?

 

Nerf Fitness to me has always been the idea of combining the greatest parts of my life, stories, narrative, gaming lore, fitness, inspiration, empowerment, and purpose to my everyday! Thanks to Steve continuing his journey and recently publishing his book, the beauty of a random rare drop occurred in my life. As I browsed Chapters (one of my favourite stores) I walked past a shelf that was vibrant in colour, and my attention was drawn. There it was, a light beamed on this book Level Up Your Life, and so I picked up my loot, ran over to the nearest tavern to begin reading the lore of Steve Kamb and discover the hidden secrets and community that exists as we know, The Rebellion. 

 

I believe that when I first came across Nerd Fitness I wasn't leveled up enough to join the community, or wield it's magnificence. But now, I have grinded enough side quests to appreciate and join The Rebellion and provide my most authentic and passionate self to the many travellers found within.

 

My name is Ben Smith, I hail from Ontario Canada and like all of you, I've wandered out far enough on my own to appreciate the importance of a community full of like-minded and passionate individuals. 

 

Continue providing the world with your most authentic and passionate self, we deserve to see what greatness exists within you and the legacy you lead.

 

Thank you

[Bob the Bardbarian]

Welcome to the Rebellion!