Pushing Past The Pain

With my triathlon training in full throttle now, I have been feeling some pain lately. The other day it hit me bad when I was on a run. It was one of the really hot days we had last week and I thought it was great running weather. In the middle of my run, I stop at a park and did some body weight exercises. After the exercises I was exhausted. However, I still had to run about two miles to get home. This is where the pain set in. I thought I wasn’t going to make it home I was so drained. I kept going though. In the middle of my struggle I had a moment of clarity where I thought to myself, why am I doing this? Why am I putting my body through this? That’s when it hit me, not the runner’s wall that hit me about a mile earlier. In that moment of clarity I realized that pain is only temporary but regret, regret can last forever.

The pain I was feeling in my legs and the exhaustion I felt in my body would only last until the end of the day or maybe a couple of days afterwards. However if I stopped on that run or gave up on this triathlon because I cannot master the swim, I would regret it. No matter what kind of pain I feel throughout this training I know I have to push through it. I have a goal to challenge myself, push myself to a new level of fitness and giving up is not an option. If I give up I will always be looking back on what I could have done. I will always wonder what my true potential was and if I could have reached it. This may have happened to you in the past. Maybe you went on a diet and gave up before you reached your goal. Now you are left to wonder how far you could have pushed. This is why I will not give up. I will reach my goal and push past the pain.

This concept is not just for physical training though. This is a concept for life. When you go to chase your dreams, I am sure there are going to be times when it is painful. There are going to be times when you just want to give up because you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” At this point you have two options. The first option is to give up. You can take the easy way out. By taking the easy way out, you are saving yourself from one pain but causing yourself different pain.  It will cause you to always look back and wonder what would have happen if you stuck it out. It will cause you to think of what could have been. Lastly, it will cause you to live with the pain of settling.

There is that second option though: you can push past the pain and follow your dreams. This second option is much harder but nothing worthwhile comes easy. Whether your dream is to become a doctor, be the next Steve jobs, or become the greatest magician ever (After seeing Now You See Me, I am a bit obsessed with magic. This is why I keep bringing it up in case you noticed), I am sure there is going to be times when you want to give up. The pain of all the sleepless nights in the library, the pain of one failed idea after another, the pain of having a hard time finding a gig; this pain can make you want to quite. You have to realize though that this pain will not last forever. If you push past this pain and never give up, you cannot lose. You only lose once you stop going after what you really want. You will reach your dreams one day and turn them into a reality. You will never have to wonder “what if” because you will be living that if.

In life we are faced with many challenges, some challenges we cannot control. However, how we react to these challenges is up to us. You can either choice to push through the pain these challenges bring with them or you can give up and live in regret. I just want you to remember, pain is only temporary but regret, regret can last forever.

Do It For You

In the past week I have read two different posts on Facebook about working out. As I start training for my triathlon, these posts were perfect for me. They were not your usual motivation but they motivated me none the less. Each post, although said differently, had the same message: workout for you and nobody else. Workout to get in shape, live a healthier life, or gain confidence. Do not work out to impress others, to get attention, or to be able to show off your body at the beach.

A few years ago when I started working out, I did it because I was scrawny. I was that chicken legged kid who looked like they didn’t eat. I often felt weak and wanted to make a change. That was my motivation, to change who I was to who I wanted to be; who I had the potential to be. As I gained some muscle and started to gain confidence in myself I developed a passion for fitness and nutrition. This was my new motivation: to live a healthy life style. However, as beach season started to approach my motivation change. I started to worry about looking good at the beach and impressing others. I learned a valuable less from this that I did not put together until I saw these post. When my motivation was rooted in myself and my personal goals it was much easier to make those sacrifices of waking up earlier, eating clean, and working my butt off. Once my motivation changed to vanity, I could not keep up the determination and resilience I once had.

This journey has shown me that the root of your motivation goes a long way. Before I started my triathlon training, I was worried. I was worried that all the work I have done this year, gaining weight and muscle, was going to be undone by my training. Although this is still a possibility and maybe more a probability, I am fine with it. Recently, lifting and gaining muscle was not only for me it was to impress others. However, this triathlon is for me. It is to challenge myself to reach a new level of fitness and to prove to myself I can do what I put my mind too (especially swimming because it is hard!).  You should take a look at what motivates you and determine if it is rooted in yourself or others.

I believe this may be one of the reasons that people don’t stick to their New Year’s resolution of getting in shape. They feel the need to make a resolution and they wouldn’t mind getting in shape so they go with that. Their motivation is not rooted in themselves. They do not actually have the deep down desire to make a change in their lives. They are just going with the crowd. It doesn’t work.

This does not only hold true for working out either. Look at everything you are doing in your life for where to work, to what you do, even to who you hang out with. Are these things or people who you are doing for yourself or are you going to med school because both your parents are doctors? If after reflecting upon it you realize that some aspects of your life do not come from the right motivation, maybe it is time to make a change. Yes, it will be extremely hard to drop out med school and follow your dream to become the greatest magician ever but it might just be worth it. I am not going to pretend I have made any kind of drastic change in my life, like dropping my life’s plan to go after my dreams, so I do not know if it will be worth it. However, what I do know from my short experience here on this floating ball we call Earth is this: it is going to be a heck of a lot easier to make it through the tough times when you are chasing your dreams than it will be going after something you are doing to impress your parents. Besides , if you are not living the life of your dreams are you really living your life?

Whether you are working out, choice a career, or going after anything else in your life make sure you are going after it for the right reasons. When you are motivated for the right reasons there only exists the limitations you put on yourself.  So go out into the world, take some risks, and capture your dreams!

Feeling Uncomfortable

I want to apologize to all my loyal readers (mom I know you’re out there) for not writing last week. It was a combination of being a little busy packing and doing Resident Assistant stuff combined with the fact that I was not really inspired to write last week. I do not like to write when I am not inspired because the words don’t seem to come out right. Whenever I write a post and I am not really feeling it, I never like it. Have no fear though because I am back to motivate you and hopefully I won’t miss a day this summer but I am not making any promises.

So today’s post; I was once told that when you feel uncomfortable, that is a good feeling because it means you are growing. However, I usually- probably most of you as well- try to avoid situations that will make me feel uncomfortable. I have recently realized though that this is not good. I will never get past my weaknesses if I do not work on them. It is as if I am really bad at a sport but never play it because I am bad at it: I can’t get any better that way.

To further illustrate what I mean I will give an example. I have to be honest and tell you that I am a pretty awkward person in one on one situations. I know what you are thinking, it is hard to believe, I had a little trouble believing it too but it’s the truth. I am not like this with everyone, there are certain people who I am find around. However, put me with someone I do not know very well and there is sure to be a lot of awkward silences. Because of this, I usually tend to avoid situation where I will be one on one with someone. Whether it is going to dinner with someone or walking to class, the awkwardness can strike at any point. In order to get past this awkwardness, I need to put myself in these awkward situations and expose myself to these experiences more.

The more I expose myself the better I will become in these situation. I will learn how to fill the awkward silences and kept the conversation going better. I will never learn these skill if I do not put myself in these situation though. Think about yourself. Is there some skill you need to work on that you avoid using so that you do not feel uncomfortable? Maybe you are not good at talking on the phone, or maybe you do know how to be funny, or most commonly you aren’t good at public speaking. Isn’t that strange?  I am fine with public speaking, one of the most common fears among adults, yet put me with one other person and I don’t know what to do with myself.

Anyway, my point is how do you expect to get better in any situation whether it be a social situation, a sport, a computer program, or anything else that you would need a skill for unless you put yourself in situations where you need to use and improve that skill. I challenge you to make yourself feel uncomfortable. Stepping outside you comfort zone is not only about taking chances and experiencing new things, it is about growing as well. Every time you step outside your comfort zone it grows a little bit. Join me in expanding my comfort zone by expanding your own as well. Yes, it’s probably going to get awkward and you bet you will feel uncomfortable but remember; life goes on. The awkward and uncomfortable moments you have now will just turn into funny stories to tell your friends later and they will most likely do you more good than harm. So go out there, be awkward, get uncomfortable, and expand your comfort zone.

One Year Left To Live

Imagine going to the doctor for a routine checkup. You think everything goes well and a week later you get a call to come back in. When you get there, your doctor tells you that you have a terminal disease and you only have one year to live. This is what happened to Ben Wolf, the main character in the book I just read Deadline, by Chris Crutcher.  Ben has to decide how he wants to live the last year of his life and what changes he thinks will allow him to pack the most into that year.  This was a great book and although the ending could have been a little stronger it really got me thinking.

If you only had one year to live what would you change about the way you are live your life? Would you work as hard as you could to become the star of the football team? Would you go after the guy/gal of your dreams? Would you spend time with the person everyone over looks and make a difference in their life? Would you drop everything and go travel the world? The last and most important question to consider is why don’t you make these changes now?

People often pay the “what if” game with this question. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you do?  I think a year is a better amount of time to consider than a day. It is long enough so that you don’t do anything drastic, such as spend your life savings on a night in Vegas, and it is short enough that it feels like you are running out of time, fast. No matter what the time is people should look at this question in different light or the answer at least.  We should seriously consider the reasons why we don’t live the way we would if we knew we were dying.

Of course, there are the obvious reasons why you wouldn’t spend all your money if you were not actually dying. However, what is stopping us from making the other changes such as being more outgoing or taking more chances or going after those dreams that seem childish but are something we really want. Why is it that when people are faced with the end they will go after what they really want. I guess I know the answer to that: they have nothing to lose. However, they don’t realize they are losing everything when they aren’t living the life they really want to. It is time to change that. It is time to realize the changes we would make and start making them.

Yes, we don’t know we are going to die in a year but we also don’t know if we will live past tomorrow. We should strive to live every day in the way that we really want to. Make a list of the things you would change or do if you were dying in a year and start doing them. Make the changes you want to make now before it is too late, before your year is up

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Making Mistakes

We, as humans, have been raised to think that if we made a mistake it is a terrible thing. We did something wrong so we are not good enough or we are stupid. This influences the decision we make and the way we act. Sometimes, we want to do something so bad but we do not because we are afraid it is a mistake, something that shouldn’t be done. The other week, while thinking of a quote for my Motivation Monday here at school, I thought of something profound. You can always learn something from your mistakes, but you don’t learn anything from regret. Although I may have talked about this before or already understood the concept, this was the first time I said the idea plain and clear.

When we make decision in life, a lot of the times we think of the consequences and realize that one decision may be a mistake. So we pick the “safe” decision. We pick the decision that we think will bring the least amount of harm. I know that I do this all the time whether it is with a small seemingly unimportant decision or with the big obviously important decisions. Now maybe we do this because it helps us get where we want to be in life but maybe it also causes us to miss out on great memories. I am not saying go out and try to run from the cops every night doing something crazy. I am just saying it might be a good idea to step out of your comfort zone and make a mistake.

Item number 14 on my bucket list is “do something crazy,” and my fear of making a mistake has probably stopped me from crossing that one off. I have had the urge to do something crazy for a while. I do not exactly know how to define crazy and I have done some unusual things, such as give out free hugs all day, but I have not felt that craziness. I am too afraid that when I step outside my comfort zone, I will make a mistake that I will have to live with. Instead though, I live with the regret of not doing things I want to do.

Coming up on finals, it is my last week of my sophomore year of college. It felt like just yesterday my mom had tears in her eyes because she was dropping her baby off at college. Time flies and I have spent most of my time in college doing my best not to make a mistake. Although my time here has been great and I am very happy with live, I do not have any of those crazy college stories. You know, the stories that parents tell their kids when they are old enough. Yes, I know that this may just be a social pressure that kids have to these kinds of stories and that I do not really need them. However, sometimes I feel like I am missing something and that feeling can suck.

So, no more doing my best to avoid mistakes. I am not going to go out trying to make mistakes but if I really want to do something I am going to do it. I will still stick to my values, especially my absence from alcohol, and be the kind of person I want and have the potential to be. I will just add a little more excitement to my life and take some more chances. I also challenge you to ask yourself if you are missing out on life because you are afraid of making a mistake. Do you want to ask that person you see all the time out on a date but think it could end up being a mistake? Do you want to go on that vacation but think it would be a mistake to spend the money? Do you hate your job but think it would be a mistake to quit? Are you living with regret because you are afraid to make a mistake? Remember you can always learn from your mistakes, but you do not learn anything from regret and it is the things that we don’t do that we regret. So go out and make some mistake and live life without regret.

Perfection

Perfection is that elusive dream that everyone chases. They are all looking for that perfect school, that perfect job, that perfect house, that perfect spouse. Most people try to become perfect and others are completely against it. The latter people realize that perfection is nothing. Perfection does not actually exist. They see the pursuit of perfection as a waste of time since the goal can never be reach. On some level they are right but on another level they couldn’t be more wrong.

They are right that perfection does not exist. It is this unattainable status that many have tried for but none have reach. Yes, as a team people can be perfect especially in sports. However, as an individual you will always have flaws. Our flaws make us human. So I guess you could be perfect but you would have to be some sort of alien or robot which means you have you own issues to worry about when it comes to social acceptance. It is important for everyone to realize that perfection cannot be attained. It is also important to realize that we should chase perfection anyway.

I bet these guys are perfect.

As some people see the pursuit of perfection as a waste of time; I see things differently. Yes, I can never reach perfection but I can come close to it. If I continuously improve myself to align myself on the path to perfection I will continuously become a better version of myself. I will develop from the person who I am to the person I have the potential to be. I came across the  quote that inspired today’s post during one of my Motivational Mondays here at school, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” This was said by Vince Lombardi, one of my favorite people to quote.

This reminded me to get back on my path to self-improvement. Recently, I have looked at who I am today compared to who I was last year and realized how much I had changed. I had changed for the better and was proud of myself, so I got complacent. I thought to myself that I had made such great improvements and started to slow down on finding new things to improve upon. I was happy with who I was. I still am but I know that I still have things I could improve upon. No matter how great you are, no matter how perfect you think you are, there will always be some aspect of yourself that you can still improving on. I know that I have more than a few improvements I could make.

So it is time for me to get back on my chase of perfection. It is time for me to focus on the changes I still need to make in my life. I will not forget how far I have come in my journey of self-improvement, I will simple reflect upon my achievement and get back to work. I challenge everyone to chase perfection and become a better version of themselves. Know first though, that there is nothing wrong with you, just like there is nothing wrong with me (besides that whole socially awkward thing but that’s beside the point). If you are perfectly happy with who you are then go ahead and stay that way, that is 100% fine. Realize though that you can always improve yourself and you may never become perfect, but you can always catch excellence along the way.

Changing the World

Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Bombing, the Fertilizer plant in Texas; all these events and others like them can make the world seem like a dark place full of sorrow and misery. However, I spent all last week trying to show my campus that is not the truth. The world can be a wonderful place full of amazing people but it is up to us to make it that way.

Last week, I spent the week promoting nothing but happiness on campus. To do this we gave out memories such as Happy Mondays (see picture above), free sweets, free hugs, and more. Yes, to some people who this was weird but most people loved it. Numerous people told us that we made their day and almost everyone smiled as they walked by even if they didn’t want a free hug. This taught me a very important lesson: each and every one of us has the power to change the world every day of our lives. That is something amazing. So many people talk about how they want to or will change the world one day. What these people don’t realize is that they have the power to change the world today.

Who wouldn’t want a hug from this guy?

You do not need to reinvent the wheel or start a million dollar non-profit organization to change the world. All that needs to be done is a random acts of kindness. Pay for the person in line behind you, wish the worker, the one you see every day but never actually talk to, a great day, or maybe give a stranger a hug (don’t just run up and try to hug someone though, they may thing you are attacking them). Now maybe you won’t change the entire world with one of these simple acts but that shouldn’t stop you from changing the entire world for one person. You never know how your act could affect someone. The person who is the recipient of your random act of kindness could be having a terrible day. They could be on the brink of a break down. With your act though, it could turn their day upside down and completely change their mood. This could cause them to pass on the kindness to someone else and with this we can change the world.

People always talk about how the world is such a terrible place. They say people suck and that everyone is out to help themselves and that is it, but they do not do anything about it. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” People need to stop complaining about the world and start changing it. I understand that it may seem hard to comprehend how a slip of paper could change the world but, from experience, I know it can make a difference. To me it seems to be a shame to let the power we have to go to waste. Start off small, start with friends. Buy your friend a coffee or write them a letter of application. Hand out kindness and pass on the kindness you receive because whether it is on a mass scale or one person at a time, you can change the world.