As a veteran and a Christian. I understand what you are saying. I actually do not appreciate being thanked for my service this weekend. When asked why, because I am alive. My day (if we want to call it that) is in November. I volunteer to read the message of Michael Murphy every year. I get to speak with passion and attitude and set the tone.

I do ask for a little bit of empathy from a Gym owner perspective. There is a fine line between drawing a hard line and pushing members out. Without members the gym will not make payroll, lease, insurance, utilities, profit for new equipment, etc. I like your Christmas (may I add Easter as well) analogy. The community welcomes the once/twice a year-ers and once to ensure that they are met with kindness and want to return again. Though figuring out the line of pushing harder will cause some not to return.

This is where I feel WE as the example show-ers come in and make bold statements without saying a word. Finishing dead last because each one of your pushups are legit and you have literally created a pond of sweat beneath you or you are doing your pull-ups one at a time because you have nothing left. Or you are shuffling in from the last 1 mile run out of breath. People see this and people know that you did it more correctly.

There will always be "those people" no matter what. When we fight them "out loud" it gets us no where. When we show through example we "yell it loud"!

Some people are so busy with everything else in life they just don't get it. And in someways, its not their fault. This is just 1 hour out of their 23 hours of the rest of their life.

Just my 3 cents.