ON THE COVER
Tom DeLauer
W
e all have mentors in our lives that help show us the way
to do things, teach us the shortcuts, or instruct us on
life’s most valuable lessons. Sometimes these teachers
are very apparent and sometimes they are a bit less obvious, but
still they guide us to make the right choices simply by their state
of being.
In my life, my dogs are my teachers. Over the years they have
taught me not to judge, to be who I am, and to teach me a down
to earth way of doing things that has ultimately resulted in not only
a positive and confident mindset, but a healthier physical state as
well. Through an unconditional love that cannot be matched, my
dogs have reinforced my confidence to achieve what I thought before was never possible.
They say that you become a product of your surroundings; that
if you spend time with a negative crowd, you too will become negative simply by association. But what about surrounding yourself
with the most positive, encouraging, and unalloyed motivators that
possibly exist? Well, you simply become unstoppable, and that is
what has happened in my case with my canine counterparts. They
don’t let me have an off day. Their unadulterated way of living life
has taught me that you simply get out of something what you put
in. They simply love, and appreciate every day that they are alive,
and to me, that is the ultimate motivator to be a better person, both
mentally and physically.
I live a down to earth, outdoorsy, and very organic life, and when
it comes to fitness, my dogs help bridge that gap for me. They encourage me to be fit for different reasons than just aesthetics. They
remind me that I am working to be fit in order to live a healthy and
active life that is conducive for all around longevity. They do this
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by displaying their happiness to wake up to another day each and
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every morning.
every morning.
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Commitment
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There are days when I get out of bed and it is a struggle to even
day
days
out bed and it is
slip on my running shoes, let alone go outside to do cardio. But
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there is something about your loyal companion looking you square
your loyal companion lo
o
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in the eyes with such eagerness to run with you that compels you to
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erness
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u
forego the procrastination and get out there and do it. It is a level of
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d
accountability that is entirely unmatched. There isn’t a single workt bilit th t i
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out that my dogs have guilted me into that I have come to regret; it
invariably is a win/win for both the dogs and me.
My dogs mirror and enhance my activity level and my lifestyle.
When I am more focused and driven to be healthier, my dogs are
right there by my side. When I am exercising more, my dogs are
exercising more and when I am eating healthier, my dogs are eating
healthier alongside me. It is a perpetual cycle that only ends in a
positive result so long as there is that continued accountability.
56
Natural Muscle Magazine
May 2015
Trust and Adventure
One of the most powerful lessons that my dogs have taught me
have been that of living life outside of my comfort zone. They’ve
inspired me to be the outdoorsman that I am; to get out and embrace every opportunity that life throws at me. Dogs don’t break
life down into minute fears; they live life day to day and are only
fearful of what is directly a physical threat. Consequently, they have
shown me ways to eliminate the useless fears from my life and focus only on what is exciting and what I am passionate about. This
has allowed me to find myself in ways that I never would have been
capable of doing otherwise. Amazing things happen when you get
outside with your dog!
What would you do if you knew you could
never fail?
In my eyes, belief is one of the most powerful feelings that you can
possess, and having those around you that believe in you, is absolutely invaluable. The loyalty of my dogs lets me know that no matter
how hard I may fall, whether it be in physical, emotional, or business
endeavors, I will always have a support system that will never pass
judgment on me. If you look into a dog’s eyes, you can see that they
love you for who you are and nothing less. A dog can be the most
priceless motivator for someone’s fitness journey as they will not
ever stop believing in you.
So, will a dog make you ripped and in shape
overnight?
Probably not. But a dog will allow you to uncover what it is that you
aspire to be, and they will continue to push you to new heights,
many times without you even knowing it. The unequivocal love of
a dog is enough to empower you to overcome even the darkest of
times and continue to persevere to achieve the level of fitness that
you need, and let’s not forget, it’s hard to resist those puppy-dog
eyes asking to go for yet another run!
Thomas DeLauer is an accomplished fitness cover model, fitness
personality and motivational spokesperson who prides himself on
his extremely down-to-earth and organic approach on diet, training,
relationships, and life in general. Thomas’ focus is on encouraging
and motivating those around him to use a healthy body and mind to
find where their true passion lies and to Workout to Live, not Live
to Workout.
You can follow Thomas via the following:
Instagram: @ThomasD