Each of the agents, as well as my clients, all hold a special place with me.  Their ongoing commitment to improving their own wellness, their collaboration to help others change and their successes are often the highlights of my days.  I mentioned in my last post, that I would be introducing our newest agent. This particular individual has dealt with a significant amount of change in their lives.  And, much of that change was not chosen, it was reactive to current circumstance.  In the past couple of months, she has gone Vegan, began training with me regularly, lost weight, changed the diet of her children (they are now vegetarians) and had a growing interest in helping others.  I have said many times before how much I learn from the other agents...and this one is no different.  Experiencing all of these changes with her has meant the world to me.  Now she is joining our movement...and knowing that we will now share in so much more together, well that just makes my day:)

Josh

It all started about 17 years ago at the young ages of 17 & 18. Two kids from opposite sides of the city of Chicago, (Sox vs. Cubs) and an unplanned last minute trip to the city with a girlfriend, which turned into the luckiest day of my life!

That day I met the man that would become my life partner, best friend, father of our two amazing children and so much more.  But the man that I met that day, almost 17 years ago was half the man he is now, and I don't mean that literally.  Today, he is in fact almost half the size he was when I met him, but I am talking about on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level.

What originally attracted me to Josh (Agent 001) was his sense of humor and determination. As an example...within the first few minutes of meeting him, he whispered to his friend "hands off, she's mine" and I then proceeded to inform Josh that I had very good hearing!  Now normally if any other guy would have said something like that about me, I would never give them a second look.  But there was something about him...and it was at that moment that I knew this was going to become something serious.

Now it may have been the olive green suit and tie, or that he had about a pound of gel in his hair to grease it back, or maybe that his ankle and leg were in a cast up to his knee and he had to use a cane to walk. Oh gosh there were just so many reasons I fell for him! (Anyone who knows me understands the humor in that last sentence!) In actuality he was the complete opposite type of guy I was normally attracted to, but once again there was something very special about Josh.

This is the crazy part, that almost 17 years later, it has only been within the last couple of years that I found out what is so truly special about him!  If you are not aware of Josh's story you need to go to www.joshneimark.com immediately to learn more (after reading my post of course:). There you will learn about the amazing transformation he has gone through and how it has made him the very special person I knew was always in him since the moment we met.

Anyone and everyone who knows Josh can attest that he is quite possibly the most honest person you will ever ever meet (too honest at times perhaps)!  He is always acting with good character and never has a hidden agenda that would only benefit himself.  His transformation has turned him into a vigilante if you will, for good overall health; not only in his own life, but in all the lives in the whole world (well starting closer to home first) His passion and commitment to this barely existent cause in America (Nearly 34 percent of adults are obese, more than double the percentage 30 years ago. The share of obese children tripled during that time, to 17 percent.) has become very contagious within the community where we live.

Every morning at the gym people would constantly approach him with compliments on his self motivation, which was then followed by many questions about how they can achieve results like him! Then one day a very determined observer, mother/career woman with a very busy schedule like most of us today, asked Josh to be her personal trainer.  Well, it was more like she firmly told him he was going to be and he didn't have a choice:)  And of course, without even a second thought he agreed happily because that's Josh!  He wasn't happily accepting the job for any monetary reason, only for the simple fact that he actually inspired someone else to want to improve their overall health. That person is Erin, Agent 003, Josh's first official client.

Soon after working with Erin and seeing all of her positive change, he put an idea he had been working on for some time into effect; "The Agents of Change" The concept is simple, making the choice to better your health through his three pillars of wellness. The first one being physical wellness, the second pillar being nutritional wellness and last but not least emotional wellness.

Now I leave you with this, everyone has the power inside of them to change for the better, but it takes a really special person to inspire others to change for the better!  Thank you Josh for inspiring me and our whole agent family to be the best we can be!  I love you with all my heart and I pray that one day Jack will grow to be half the man/husband/father/friend/ that you have become almost 17 years later!

PS...look for my weekly columns/posts to begin soon.  My topic of choice - How to make healthy choices for your kids in our society.

Susie
Agent Q