Earning Breakfast

I remember as a teenager reading an interview of Arnold Schwarzenegger in which he recounted stories from his childhood in Austria. I don’t remember a lot of it, but one thing that still sticks out twenty years later, I vividly recall reading how Arnold’s dad used to make him “earn his breakfast” every morning. Before he was allowed to eat, Arnold would have to complete not only chores, but also a workout regimen consisting of pushups, sit-ups, pullups and I think a run as well. His dad wanted to ensure Arnold fully appreciated the process of earning what he enjoyed and didn’t want him to feel entitled to anything.

Although you would probably have been hard-pressed to find many entitled kids in Arnold’s neighborhood, being it was post-WWII Europe, it is certainly epidemic today. We struggle to appreciate what has become commonplace and expected.

But there’s another lesson from Arnold’s father: he taught his son to begin every day with an accomplishment. He groomed the future Mr. Olympia to place productivity before pleasure. Young Arnold learned to kick off each morning conquering a challenge. His day always started with a victory.

This lesson has stuck with me my entire adult life and I wanted to pass it along to you. How will you earn your breakfast?

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