I’m here at the gym. And there’s a reaction happening in my body. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go inside.” Look at all the cars… Bet it’s crowded… I’m tired…
I’ve noticed something about myself, and you may have noticed this about yourself too – my initial reaction to anything that requires physical, emotional, or mental energy is often “I don’t wanna!”
But that’s not guidance. It’s a reaction. A default reaction.
The Question Behind the Resistance
When it comes to activities, especially these kinds of physical activities, I’ve noticed that my first reaction of “I don’t wanna” is actually a question in disguise.
It could be translated inside me as: “What makes this REALLY matter to me right now?”
What makes it matter to me to go to the gym?
Well, I’m wanting more mobility and strength.
I want to maintain my vitality. I also want to grow it.
There’s a boost in my confidence when my body gets a chance to push and pull and push and pull in different dimensions in a controlled way, a safe way.
I’m not trying to push it. I’m not trying to drive myself to muscle failure. I’m not trying to tear myself down to build myself back up. Those don’t matter to me.
It does matter to me to get to express certain aspects of my strength that, well, so far this morning and cooking breakfast for the family and doing some work – these are not things where I’ve expressed my physical vibrancy and strength much at all.
The Power of Permission
And now as I’m talking about why it matters to me, I’m starting to look over at the door to the gym and I’m thinking, “You know, it’s time. This is my YES right now. For good and valued reasons.”
I share this because I believe it’s wise for us to recognize inside of ourselves (and in others that we love, too) that there can be a knee-jerk reaction that isn’t necessarily the truth.
When we learn in a savvy way that this reaction is actually asking a question – “Does this matter to me?” – we can move forward with intention.
The Transformation: Just 15 Minutes Later
So I just got out of the gym. 15 minutes. My heart is pumping in such a good way. There’s a depth to me. My muscles have been expressed. My vitality has been expressed.
Mindfully moving weight. Mindfully navigating other people. Mindfully choosing my next Yes.
Do I feel awesome? Well, that’s not what I’d call it.
I feel me. I feel more of me. I feel myself more alive and indeed more thriving now.
Why This Matters
I think about all the things that I want to do where being able to move 40 pounds, 60 pounds, can make the difference between being able to enjoy a trip or a walk or carrying my daughter… and not.
Much of what we’re exploring within the Thriving Now Circle around thriving lifestyle includes our capacity to move our energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
If your default is to conserve your energy, good for you! You’re human. But if you never get past that default reaction, you won’t be thriving. You’ll be surviving.
From Surviving to Thriving
The thriving heart says, “Physical vitality is a part of me.” My cells every day, even if I’m lying on the couch, are regenerating. My heart is beating. My breath is going in and out.
What if I spent just a short segment of this day expressing myself more deeply and powerfully in the area of physical vitality?
Right now, as I sit here in my car, I feel warmer. My qi is ready to go walk outside. It’s a cold day. But now that my body has moved weight, it’s pumped. The iron in the gym helped me. Now I can go for a walk and enjoy this beautiful sunshine and the crisp day instead of staying stuck in a default reaction: “Oh, it’s too cold, I don’t wanna.”