“One day you wake up, look around and realize that you are surrounded by awesome people you trust. And those people think you are awesome. One day you believe them. And then another day, you wake up and realize that you know you are awesome.” – Solo
Over the weekend I did something I never thought I would do again. I went running with a very dear friend. I know that doesn’t sound incredibly earth shattering, but for me it was a big deal. I had quit running nearly 7 years ago. I quit running because playing competitive basketball from the time you’re 8 years old up until 17 does a number of jobs on your joints, and my knees had a lot of chronic pain from all the pivoting, the quick shifts and stops, you name it. I took up kettlebell training in my later years as it was a safer fitness modality for me that would give me the kind of conditioning work I had from basketball training all while making me stronger.
Running. I never thought I would ever lace up my running shoes and hit a trail again. I never thought I would be able to run without pain in my knees. . .but it happened. I ran pain free for 4.4 miles. I ran well, even up hill (though this uphill stuff is super challenging ). The experience gave me a bit of an epiphany as I looked back over this wild fitness journey of mine. There was a time in my life when I stopped doing all of my fitness activities. I stopped exercising entirely. I stopped eating healthy. In fact, I just stopped. Life came to a screeching halt. I felt dead to the world.
But then something happened. I woke up one day and decided that life was worth living, and if I wanted to live a life worth living, I had to act my way into a new lifestyle. I started small. I started to eat healthy, train strategically, and then over time, I shaped myself into one powerful human being. I wish I could tell you that I did this all on my own, but I didn’t. This idea of “you can do anything if you have enough self will and will power” is utter bullshit to me. I say that because there are times when you just don’t have the strength to will yourself into a new life. You need help. . .support. You need to surround yourself with people who can lift you up when you can’t do it yourself. This, dear readers, is the key to long lasting success.
If there is one thing I have learned in my 28 years on earth it’s that life, more often than not, will throw you too many curve balls that will strike you when you least expect it. It’s at those times, those times when you’ve been struck down, that you have to reach out to those you trust ( your friends, your family, experts in your fitness field, mental health professionals, nutrition coaches or whoever else). It’s ok to admit you can’t tackle new goals alone. The good news? You are enough, capable, and strong enough, just as you are now, to change and get the support you need to change.
A funny thing happens to when you reach out for guidance. You find people, just like you. You find people that want to help you and are willing to hold you accountable. I see this now in my own life as I train our clients here at Primal Fitness Pittsburgh. The accountability factor helps people stay active, lose weight, and get stronger than they thought was humanly possible. It’s an incredible thing to see, and it’s all because of that tribe we established on the North Shore.
The moment you reach out to others who are in this fit tribe, the sooner you too become fit. It becomes a sort of cycle. You continue to lift, you go out for a run. You become that fit person because you begin to embrace your fit tribe.
So. . .who’s in your fit tribe? Should you need to reach out for help, we are only one email or phone call away! 😉
“If you surround yourself by people who believe that you are awesome, you will start believing that you are awesome too. You start acting that way too – as if you were already awesome. And then it happens. Imperceptibly, slowly. Little by little, you behave your way into being. You behave your way into being awesome.”
Master your instincts!
