On Gratitude
It’s an exciting day.
You’ve been disconnected and in the clouds at work for hours, distractedly navigating away from your inbox to double-check your old numbers on Wodify.
You’ve looked forward to re-testing that 1 rep max front squat for a few weeks. You’ve been training hard, pouring your heart into your workouts and eating clean. You got some great sleep last night. You’ve already got butterflies in your stomach.
Today’s finally the day!
You’re going to hit that new PR.
Hours later, you’re at the gym, pumped and feeling good. You walk out of the rack with the bar, keep everything as stable as possible while you squat down… and bail.
You try again—still can’t get to the top.
Then you try, and fail, again.
Now you’re disillusioned and upset. Today was the day. Your head’s in the right place, but the body refuses to follow. What the hell went wrong?
It’s days like these when we need gratitude… not to receive it, but to give it to our bodies.
When’s the last time you thanked your body, that beautiful vessel which carries your dreams, desires, love and pain from the cradle to the grave?
When did you last say “thank you” to those arms that hold your children, comfort your spouse, carry your things to and fro across endless miles of life? What thanks do your hands receive for expressing your words in type, transporting food to your mouth or holding onto that pull-up bar for just one more rep?
What about the legs that carry you everywhere you’ve ever been, and endure countless demands at work, at home, at the gym? How about the feet that glue you to this earth, which despite their aching and fatigue, walk you through your hardships in combat boots or stilettos?
And the core, the cocoon of safety that blocks all your organs from injury and makes it possible to stand up in the morning, or to carry an 80 pound ruck sack, or to give life to a child… that piece of you that plays a role in every move you will ever make?
In your moment of anger and disgust after a failed attempt, find your gratitude.
“When did I last thank this body that has executed billions of beautifully menial and difficult tasks since the day I was born… the heart that moves my blood, the lungs that feed my cells or the brain that runs the whole operation?”
Give thanks. It’s the best path to forgive yourself when you fall short of your high standards.
And don’t worry, that barbell will still be waiting for you tomorrow.
*Originally published on evolutionathleticsnc.com