Inspiration.  It’s like a smile.  It’s good to share with others and you can only hope that it will catch on.  I ran across these two posts below on living life and I wanted to share.  I hope it catches on, not just for you, but for me too 🙂  

Invisible – click on the link for the full post, but here are some of my favorite lines.

 “That morning was another needed reminder that what we do matters most. What we claim to believe is empty without follow through.”

“I like to think of myself as a man of many passions. A carpe-diem, sans-regret type of fellow.  Not a bad way to think of yourself (if it’s true). But in that moment I realized that I was buying into my own hype. I had created my own personal infomercial.  But the payoff wasn’t there. There was no “it-worked-for me-it-can-work-for-you” reality.

My many so-called passions, left unchecked, were like a shelf full of fantastically interesting half-read books.”

Well said my friend.  What we do matters most.

It’s Just One Hour – I love that this highlights CrossFit, but then talks about so much more.

“CrossFit is not about how heavy you can squat clean, how fast you can run a 5K, or what your Fran time is.

CrossFit is about pushing yourself beyond what you once thought possible. It’s about learning that CrossFit, like in life, you’re going to struggle with certain things. But CrossFit is going to force you to face those struggles and learn how to overcome them.”

“See, CrossFit may last just 3,600 seconds, but it’s about building life skills that go well beyond that. It’s mentally preparing you for whatever comes your way when you walk out that gym door. You learn that a pullup without a band is within reach – just like that promotion at work. That your dream career is not going to jump into your lap just like you’re not going to magically learn to do a muscle up overnight.”

SO very true.  It makes me think about my handstands or rather my inability to do them.  It’s so parallel to life.  I don’t want to do handstands because I’m afraid.  Afraid to fail, to look stupid, to fall.  But CrossFit forces me to face this struggle, to do a headstand, to have my coach hold my legs, so that at least I’m practicing the motion. 

There are so many things I don’t want to face in my life – pain, loss, sadness.  It’s a weird thing, the less you face your struggles, the less chance you have of getting better, overcoming, having success. 

Hard truth.  A truth that I haven’t really wanted to face.  Ever.  I just wanted to wake up one day, have a great body, be rich and famous.  I didn’t want to work for it.  I wanted it handed it to me.  Sad, I know.  I can’t even blame being a part of the entitlement generation.  Somewhere along my way, I just wanted things on a silver platter.  I didn’t want a journey, just a finish line.  I wasted so much time, money, thoughts, life, energy.  The list goes on.

BUT. 

But  it doesn’t have to be this way.  I don’t have to stay in the falsehood that a silver tray will appear.  I can be.  I can do.  I can be just a tiny bit better at playing soccer, everytime I play.  I can actually get close to doing a handstand on my own.  I might even do a pull up when it’s all said and done or write a children’s book.  Who knows, but at least I can start and work.

Like I said before, I hope this catches on, not just for you, but for me.  Inspiration.