“Even if you sleep late, eventually every day begins, and in the first minute of each day you have to face yourself. Day after day until you die you will wake up and remember what you’ve done. Memories of what you did the night before will bubble to the surface. Those memories will come with feelings. If you binged on ice cream or box wine or cocaine, that will be one of your first thoughts, and it will come with the weight of self-hate on your lungs and the deep bruise of shame in your gut. If you’re already not treating yourself well, those feelings may be subtle ‘cause you’re young and you think you have all the time in the world to turn things around. But unless you practice treating yourself well, soon you’ll be in your 50s and you’ll wake up and the pain of that first minute will be so intense that the day ahead will feel like a prison sentence.”- Kelly Coffey, Wellness: Why Bother?
I’m sitting here reading this post today, mulling over very excerpt you are reading above.
Why bother?
It is a question I had to ask myself, years ago and right this second, especially given the nature of new projects, training programs, and some important upcoming events.
Why bother?
This is an important question among lifters, fitness buffs, novice racers, people who may just want to be healthy for the sake of changing their life for the better. It applies to everyone. EVERYONE. This question brings me back to a discussion I had with one of my Pittsburgh OCR buddies way back in October after wrapping up a very hard sprint course.
“Why do you do this?”
For me, training has become an essential and on-negotiable part of my life. In fact I would argue it keeps me alive. That may not be the most glamorous reason to stay healthy, but in light of the above post, it is reason enough. Life is short, and those “first minutes” that we have here on the earth are precious moments that we should cherish daily. Hitting a huge personal record in a lift is awesome! Finishing a challenging fitness event is invigorating! Having the opportunity to participate in events because of the stories we share brings about a sense of purpose, and that purpose can inspire the masses!
Most of all, we can live long, live strong, and enjoy our lives every day simply by remaining our healthy, strong, lovable selves. Our time on earth is a treasure.
“BUT!” I said, “But if you practice treating yourself well, then in your first minutes you’ll remember that you met a goal. You’ll remember that you ate food that nourished you, and that you moved and played with the body you’re so lucky to have. Those positive memories will come with good feelings – with deep, meaningful pleasure. A sense of peace. Accomplishment. Rightness.
“Practice living with intention and treating yourself well. Bother to care for and about yourself and your body, and your first minutes will feel like new beginnings. Ignore your body’s needs, neglect yourself, or continue to justify not treating yourself well, and your first minutes will be torture.” –Kelly Coffey, Why Bother?
What is your why?
Why do you train?
Why do you keep going the distance?
I’m leaving this here for you all today.
Think about it.
Let nothing stand in your way.
Press on!
