I got my ass beat for jumping in a pool

I got my ass beat for jumping in a pool.

 

I grew up in fitness. My parents were avid exercisers, my mom getting her sweat on in the living room to her favorite shows with Jack La Lanne and the Body Buddies, (all decked out in their shiny tights), and I can still see her in the backyard jumping rope on the patio, doing old school weight lifting and ab work on our patio table benches with our brand new stereo and top-load cassette player rockin the tunes, (we kept a pencil nearby),  they hit the local track and open-area high bars, etc., and yes, my pops used to spend 25 laps around the track at La Habra High School. (??????) Then they got a membership to the local gym, Imperial Health Spa. And we even got dragged there! One day I’ll never forget, it was time to go home and my mom was getting us out of the gym pool. She said “don’t you dare jump in that pool again.” Man I remember that smile-the feeling behind the smile that said, “You just watch me.” And so I jumped in as my sister watched. The ass-beating received when we got home was also one of many that I’ll never forget. I was blatantly defiant. I liked it.  🙂  Later in the years that same gym was the first gym I ever taught “aerobics” at, then I quit and went to  “Family Fitness,” (anybody have their yellow, bendy, plastic membership cards from there still?), and before that Family Fitness was Atlantis, then that turned into 24 Hour Fitness. My teaching career began in 1984 in high school. I got recruited to take over for the cheerleader who was doing the aerobics for the football team during their summer prep and hell week. It was all about the high-impact aerobics, jumping on whatever surface there was, gym and otherwise, and we were getting our groove on in the cafeteria at the time, jumping all over the commercial Excelon tile flooring. (Think hospital floors). Holy CRAP we had shin splints, hurting backs and literal puddles of sweat on the slippery floors we were a mess!! And watching my parents, I learned that there was always a way to get the exercise in, and there was always time to find the way for it, and we loved it. Yes, we were groomed for it, mostly by our parents leading by example, and they did that effortlessly because of how it made them feel. It made them feel great.

So when it comes to you and exercise, you know it feels great when you’re done, but why is it that you just can’t seem to get back to it? “Back to it” after the weekend, after 3 years, after a week’s vacation? What is it that seems to take over when the struggle appears? What is it when there’s no motivation, no joy, no umph? Facebook post after post after post that says “I wish I had your motivation to go back you look great.” “You are so motivated I wish I had half of that I might get back to the gym.” What is it? And on the other hand some people just seem to want to be active in exercise at the gym or otherwise. More posts of “I just did 3 classes back-to-back at the gym and that was only after the 5-mile hike at 5am and now off to 2 tournaments for the kids and a dinner party at 8.” You wanna slap em?

Here’s the thing, you don’t want to and they do, and I’d like you to consider this angle of the next idea:

Knowing the difference between motivation and inspiration. 

Motivation: is trying to fix something when it’s going wrong. “I need to get back to the gym.”  (This one is an obligation). “Needing” generally implies that without it you feel lacking. And feeling “without” makes one believe they are supposed to do something. And that turns into guilt for not having or doing, and guilt results in everything-other-than-feeling positive. And then ensues the comfort-food-eating-guilt-soothing-omg-I-just-ate-the-whole-cheesecake-I’m-gonna-die-I-need-motivation-to-go-to-the-gym thoughts and behavior.

 

Inspiration: is calling you to it where you can hardly stop yourself from doing it. (This one feels so right to you). This one makes you want to prepare your food for the week, get your sleep, drink your ½-your-body-weight-in-ounces-of-water-per-day (that’s awesome hydration), and want this for yourself. It feels gooood. It feels easy. It feels effortless. You can’t get enough of it and you will find a way. The End.

(sarcastic voice insert) So how does this “magical” inspiration happen then, Annette where do you find it?!@#$%&*?!

You don’t. It finds you. So how does inspiration find you? By being prepared for it by doing your part of just 2 things:

1. Find the good every occasion possible. And by “occasion” I mean every breathing moment. When you make a plan to go to the gym, you’ve packed your gym bag the night before, you’ve arranged carpooling for the kids, you’ve prepared dinner and all they have to do is heat up a home-cooked meal, and you’ve left a note for your other saying you’ll be home by 6pm, after your gym time…..and you don’t go to the gym, find the good, cause there is some there! You made a plan. You haven’t done that before!
2. And then, let go. Let go of the guilt of not going to your workout. Let go of the “I should have _____.” Let go of everything that doesn’t serve your purpose of finding the good.

 

Let it go. Holding onto things in the past and what is beyond your control, (like you get a prize for it), is about as useful as pissing up a rope. You won’t get anywhere and you’ll get burned. Let it go. Remember, practice makes perfect of, “perfect practice.” It doesn’t end until you’re 6ft under. Make the most of everything.

 

The inspiration will come, and when it does it feels great. It feels easy. It feels like you didn’t do anything for it, it feels effortless. It feels whole.

 

SWEATING AT THE GYM FEELS EFFORLTESS?!@#$%*&?

 

(Giggle) No. But the feelings one experiences while in the groove of your workout—absolutely. 100% cannot deny it, it feels awesome!! The accomplishment, the pride of ownership, the feeling of “I’m a bad ass” when punching and kicking the heavy bag, the empowerment of the strength of your body when charging through the last 30 seconds of the high intensity interval in cycle class, and the connection, the grounding and the calm during the meditation/cool down of your favorite yoga class.

 

Your inspiration lies within you and your thought processes. Changing your mind from negative to positive is only as “hard” as you make it. There isn’t a single soul out there who can make you think or believe anything that doesn’t feel right or good in your gut.

 

Do your part-find the good. The more you practice this, the more you set yourself up for the inspiration. And inspiration comes disguised as the little voice in your head that says, “it’s time,” “go for it,” “give a rat crap about what others may think or say,” “I can do this.” When you hear it and you feel it in your gut ACT ON THAT INSPIRATION the moment you hear it. Don’t let it pass you by. CARPE DIEM! The inspiration is you talking to you!!

 

Listen and obey.

 

Live by your inspiration for it is magical,

 

Annette

 

P.S.  If you are inspired back to fitness, click these links for:

1-on-1 training and the Better-for-Your-Money-Zero-Sabotage training

Small Group Training-the MORNING CRUNCH

Listen to your gut and you will find a way.