"One man with courage is a majority".
Thomas Jefferson
I know what you're thinking. A rant is coming. Its been a while, he's been unusually calm and relaxed, not saying much. The above title line seems prime for a rant. Well, that's not the case. At least not this time.
I know New Year's is a few days away. And this is that time where you see any of the following -
1.Several articles explaining how to make "your" new year's resolutions - which is ironic, considering the authors of those articles don't know their readers personally;
2. People rushing to make lists of esoteric ideas/solutions to "make 2014 the best year ever!!!"
3. Every Men's and Women's glam/fashion/"health" mag promising you all kinds of absolute bullshit if you just take their "quick quiz to a better you!"
Here's the deal with New Year's resolutions - They are designed to fail. There are experts out there who have done studies on this and they have figured out the percentage of New Year's resolutions that fail, as well as how long it takes for them to fail. They also have a host of reasons why they fail. Personally, I think it comes down to 2 things - a. conviction, and b. resolutions that are too esoteric, too "out there" to work. So I have a solution. Well, maybe not a solution but a better, more practical option, and one that I use. It also takes a bit of courage and some humility, but it works. Admit to, and write down your weaknesses.
Yes, you read it right, admit your weaknesses. We all have them, and the only way to remove them is to own them, make friends with them, then crush them with conviction. Make sure when writing them down, that you are specific, because anything that isn't measurable or tangible, is easy to put off and eventually avoid all together.
Let's take it from a fitness standpoint and then work from there. One of my weaknesses is pistols - single leg squats. I've written that down, and I've figured out what it takes to correct that. Last and most important step - I've decided how long I have to correct it so that my weakness now becomes an asset, part of my arsenal for training that pays dividends not only in racing, but in life.
Now the last step is the most important, but the first step is the hardest. No one likes to admit weaknesses or failures in life. Thing is, that is the reality of life. If we didn't have any, then we would basically all be superheroes. So having weaknesses is to be expected. Simply acknowledging them isn't enough, you have to make friends with them. Imagine a weakness is a friend - you would want to spend time with it, wouldn't you? You'd focus your attention on it, you would enjoy your time together. So with your weakness, it becomes close to you, by your side, and something you won't ignore. Then, you will be happy to work on it, and evolve it into a strength. Make sense?
This isn't going to be easy, but its not as hard as it sounds. Once you get past yourself and your ego, the list will come to you, then you can begin to work on them. But how do you work on them? Well, think about making friends, then, set attainable, measurable goals that help you measure your progress. Having defined metrics to check progress is critical. That goes for anything, any weakness.
Then, find a way to keep yourself accountable. Tell your friends, or a friend, and do it as a team. Work on them together. For example, think about the "Letting beauty speak" video I posted a few weeks ago. Think about the paradigm shift and the importance of how we have such a skewed view of beauty, and how it MUST change. Can we all admit that is a weakness? And once you do, think of the freedom that comes from realizing that you can define beauty by how you move, by who you are, not by how you look.
I will tell you that this mindset, this approach to making you better, may find you standing alone. So I ask you to turn your attention to the above quote. If you believe in you, if you believe and stand behind your convictions, you will find that others will stand with you. It might take a while, it might never happen. And that's ok. That doesn't mean you failed. It means you weren't going to go another year living half a life. You weren't going to allow your life to be dictated to you by others. I say stand tall and be ready to face those who would love to see you succumb to the middle. Screw that. Realize that by facing your fears, owning your weaknesses, having the fortitude to make friends with them and defeat them should be like a warm blanket on a cold night. Extremely comforting. Its a mindset that helps you sleep easier at night and face that mirror in the morning with strength.
So here's to your weaknesses and they gifts they give you. Stay strong,
Guy
