Okay, so towards the end of October I made all of these big claims about November, because it wasn't November yet and therefore I didn't have to worry about them until it was. It's funny how invincible you feel when you set a goal in advance, isn't it? Funny like a treadmill set to 10mph.
Yeah, November is here. I'm posting this somewhat unflattering picture of myself, as earlier this week I began the Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred for an actual 30 days, an idea that was much more fun two weeks ago. (The picture was shot the night before I started, in an effort to see change and hold myself accountable.) Today I finished Day Four, and let me tell you, I'm a little sore. Actually, I think the only thing that is keeping me from total muscular meltdown and skeletal disinegration is the fact that I am doing it every day; I'm not even giving my body a day to process it's in pain.
A typical morning goes a little like this:
BODY: Heeeeeeey, Jen. Whaddya say we lay off the anterior raises today, huh? We could just do a little extra squatting? Huh? Huh?
JEN: Sorry, body. Jillian says pain is fear leaving the body. It might be bullshit, but what if it's not?
BODY: *big sigh*
JEN: I know, I'm tired, too. But change comes when you push past fatigue. So, yeah. Let's go push for 25 minutes.
The funny thing is, as much as my body tends to protest beforehand, once it groans to life and starts warming up, the rest happens pretty fast. Like it's no big deal, really. When I finish, I almost always wonder what I was whining about. Are you kidding? It's 25 flipping minutes. It's an episode of The Office. It's a drive to Battle Creek. And it's less than a game of Chutes and Ladders with Anna.
Point being, by the end of the workout, perspective lets me remember why I did the workout in the first place. I did it because I wanted to ignite a change in my spirit more than anything. I'm not on a big weight-loss quest. I'm simply trying to reignite my brain into remembering what an extraordinary creature I can be, when I put my mind to it. What extraordinary creatures we all are. Are we capable of greatness? Yes. Is it work? Yes. Do all the crappy things in our lives tend to weigh more than the good? Unfortunately, too often the answer is yes. But it certainly doesn't have to be that way, when we're open to the possibility that we are worthy of the best life can offer.
Make a goal; face your goal when it's hard; applaud yourself when you reach it.
until later...
I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." ~ Muhammad Ali
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