Ache or Injury

As I've discussed in earlier posts, we all have to decide when we face challenges whether to back down and live to fight another day, push harder and win at all costs, or endure the pain just to survive the experience. At some point we all face aches and pains, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We lose jobs, relationships fail, we get ill, loved ones leave us. Sometimes we need to stop and let things heal so we can move forward and regroup, but sometimes there is no magic pill or treatment that will cure what ails us, no fixing the solution, only moving on with what we have left.

After 6 miles of running my ol' joints start complaining. Minor irritations that cease as soon as I cool down and give them a good stretch. The secret to building a stronger healthier body and a stronger healthier life is to recognize whether you're dealing a serious injury or just the aches and pains that come along with the territory. Don't let you mind fool you into stopping just because you feel a twinge. There will always be aches, and the true victory is not the time you clock when you cross the finish line, but that you succeeded through the aches just by keeping yourself moving. Likewise, in our emotional lives when we feel crippled by the situation and see no way out, we need to remember that to succeed we need merely to get up, shake off the grit, and get moving again. Life can knock you off your feet, but it can't hold you down. As I always say, fight like hell, and just keep moving.

Today's special feature: Gym etiquette 101- Fellas, this one is for you: I know you think that having killer biceps and shoulders is all you need to feel like a big man and impress the ladies, but if you walk around on chicken legs that look like they could collapse under the weight of your tank of an upper body, you just look silly. Do some calf raises, have a protein shake, and balance yourself before you snap like a slim jim!