Finding Meaning In Your Struggle Is Where You’ll Find Your Motivation
Mom ❤️
Dear Friend,
When I was younger, my mother seemed taller. Or was it that I was shorter?
As Greek lent starts, the most important fasting season of the church year, I reflect on this apparently small lady.
Arriving from Greece in 1969, with my infant brother on her hip, my mother was a long way from the small fishing village she grew up in.
Armed with a third grade education, she got to work on a sewing machine in a factory.
She wouldn’t know it, but she was about to embark on the most difficult struggle of her life.
Seventeen years later, when I turned 16, that struggle would reach its pinnacle in a fire. Her husband, the father of her three children, would take his life.
Leaving her alone in a foreign country to raise her three children, somehow, she survived, and in turn, saved all three children.
When I thank her, she asks, “For what?” her ignorance of the remarkable things she accomplished sincere.
When I press her she says, “I did what I had to do to save your brother, sister, and you.”
Finding meaning
My mother found meaning in her struggle. She had to survive so that she could help her three children.
That reminds me of the line from Lord Of The Rings, when Bilbo laments to Galdalf about the burden of being a ring bearer:
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us… Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”
My mother was supposed to marry my father. I was supposed to be his son. You and I are supposed to be here now, together. And that also is an encouraging thought.
That makes me reflect; What is the meaning of my own struggle? Like my mother, how can I find the beneficial purpose in it. And how do I honor my mother’s devotion, not wasting the gift she gave us.
Today, if you’re struggling (If you’re like everyone else, including me, you probably are), what if you found meaning for that struggle- A purpose to survive, thrive, and then to do something with those lessons.
I wish you the best in finding that answer, finding that purpose, finding that meaning. Then it will make the struggle make sense. This is also where you’ll find your motivation.
Thanks to my mother, I’m a motivational leadership and wellness speaker that helps people, including myself, find meaning in their lives. Message me or go to my website and ask me how I can inspire your company/school district.
I’m also a Life Coach that helps people eat better, exercise smarter, get motivated, and take control of their life. Message me or go to my website and let’s talk about helping you look and feel your best.
The picture below is the purpose of my mother’s struggle
Our family, all from this little lady
I wrote a memoir about our experiences growing up. If you’re interested, take a look. I am currently seeking the right publisher for it.
Memoir Excerpt
Waking From The Fire
Since the fire, something’s wrong. Truthfully, something’s always been wrong. Strangely, I didn’t connect it to my childhood, or the fire, as though it never happened. I thought the problem was me, some inherent flaw, a shortcoming.
What I recall is… Read more.
All My Best,
Peter
About Peter Kofitsas MS, PT
Testimonial
“Peter delivered what was by far the best one-hour presentation that our audience has ever seen. Full of energy, entertainment and mind-altering knowledge, he helped set the stage for all of us to rethink our daily habits. His session may honestly be the best I’ve ever attended, the perfect blend of knowledge and showmanship! He conducted a health and wellness session during our Mazda USA’s Northeast Region 2023 Field Meeting. Peter’s presentation was informative, enlightening, and entertaining. He used examples that resonated with all attendees and provided information we could all use in our everyday lives. He is an excellent speaker who got the audience engaged and excited.”
Deb Eliopoulos, Manager, Regional Marketing, Mazda North American Operations
PROFESSIONAL
Peter Kofitsas MS, PT is a Speaker, Author, International Life & Health Coach, Culinary Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, Food/Restaurant Consultant, and former Scholarship Football Athlete. He’s also been called, “The Missing Link” in employee wellbeing. As an expert for the media, he has appeared on ABC, FOX, MSN, TLC, and in Fitness magazine. He’s the author of 3 books, including, Shop, Cook, Eat. He’s also the creator of the 5 Minutes to Fitness+ Program, a revolutionary lifestyle program for achieving optimal health which has been featured on QVC and FOX. He’’s been helping companies assist their employees in being healthier and finding balance during the Covid- 19 pandemic.
CV
Nutrition Degree, Magna Cum Laude, Montclair State University
Physical Therapy degree, Master of Science, New York Medical College
College Lecturer- nutrition, exercise, physical therapy, kinesiology
Creator- 5 Minutes to Fitness+, Fit Friends’ Revolution
Author; Shop, Cook, Eat, Core Energy Program, & Live Better Journal
Food/Restaurant Consultant- Hospitality Training, Sustainable Menu Design, Recipe Development
Client List / Appearances
GE • Goldman Sachs • KPMG • Verizon • Metropolitan Museum of Art • Sony • UPS • Quest Diagnostics • Whole Foods • Louis Vuitton • Moët Hennessy • Working Mother • Kellari Group • Serafina Group • China Grill Management • Union Square Hospitality Group • The Episcopal Church • St Barnabas Health Care Systems • HDMS • Grocery Haulers • NY Staffing Assoc • Assoc of Health Care Recruiters
