Looking for Geritol?

I was asked a question recently (yeah, it does seem like I get asked a lot of questions).  It was "what is the secret to success?"

Not business success.  Not social success.  Not marital success (although more on that later)  Just plain ol' success.

I guess this person looks at me and see's a certain amount of success but goodness gracious I fail every day.   I preach about eating right and then go out and ignore my own advice.  I talk about exercising daily but know that every once in a while it's OK to sleep in and maybe do little or nothing.

I try to be a good grandfather but I know I don't have the patience I need.   I try to be a good co-worker but I know I can be too judgmental.  And dogmatic.   And opinionated.  And...well...you get the picture.

But as I fast approach the Geritol set (you'll have to look it up), I do find that I am happy, healthy, and have a lot of good relationships.   I get paid for doing something I love and have a wife that allows me to pursue so many interests that I have trouble keeping up with them all. 

Let me go down that path a bit.   Following on the heels of last week's feminism-based piece on Coach Pat Summitt, it hardly seems suitable to refer to the cliche that behind every successful man is a woman holding him up.   But that couldn't be more true for me.

I also had a strong foundation.  I was raised on principles.  I was raised to make a difference in the world.   I was already advocating for recreational opportunities for the youth in my hometown before high school graduation. 

Today, I find myself often in Nashville or Washington, advocating for health care issues that I find important.   And there is absolutely no way in the world that I could do any of that without a wife that supports me in that. 

Here lately, it seems like I've gotten more than my share of awards.  My wife half-jokingly asked me if I needed to tell her something--maybe that my demise was imminent, since I was being nominated for all these things.  Nope:  Nothing I know of.  But make no mistake about it--none of it would have been possible without the support of my wife. 

As we approach 37 years of being married (to each other), let me share the single bit of marital advice that I have given to many young  folks through the years:  Marriage is never 50/50.  You're gonna think it is 90/10 most of the time, with you on the short end, but it isn't.  And if you can stop looking for 50/50, life gets easier.  And happier.

As for the rest of the formula for being successful?   Be consistent.  Persevere.   Do it right the first time, the last time, and every time in between.   Remember that things don't matter--people matter.   Be reliable. 

Have integrity in everything that you do.  While I really like that little ditty about "dance like no one's watching," I believe we should make decisions like someone always is.