Being a lawyer is stressful. Part of the story behind my involvement in this Challenge is that the stresses of my job (the time, the effort, and the emotion) had consumed my life and my personal fitness had fallen by the wayside. For the first few years of my practice, I felt as though I endured enough discomfort during the workday that I should avoid discomfort after hours. I sought quick-fixes for my stresses after work: couch-time, mindless television, and lots of comfort foods and drinks. In my mind prior to this Challenge, exercise was associated with discomfort and, therefore, exercise was to be avoided. While there may be some human intuitiveness to avoid discomfort, my methods of avoiding discomfort actually made me less comfortable: I gained weight, felt endlessly tired, was often anxious, lost self-confidence, and isolated myself.
This Challenge gave me the opportunity to evaluate and reconsider the pattern of discomfort avoidance that I had fallen into. Just like anybody starting a new fitness routine, the first several workouts of this Challenge were difficult, awkward, and painful for me! But I didn’t run away from that discomfort… I actually sought it out more and more. After a few weeks, I felt this major transition in my body and mind. The workouts, while still difficult, didn’t hurt. More and more I found this craving to workout. Now after my workouts, I experience a sense of great euphoria and appreciation. As my health has improved, my energy has increased, my mind has calmed, my confidence has grown, and I enjoy and appreciate things about life that I had previously avoided. After three-months of pushing myself to confront and surpass discomfort, I can now say that I “EMBRACE THE SUCK.”
Those three words, “EMBRACE THE SUCK,” are the final three words of the Crux manifesto, is a popular motivational expression for the Crux trainers, and are words of encouragement between Crux members.
My dedication to “EMBRACE THE SUCK” transcends the gym and pours over into other aspects of life. This mentality has taught me to endure failure, appreciate the lessons provided in failure, and to get back on the horse and try again. Good things come out of discomfort… often the best things. I’ve found that this mentality not only increases my performance in the gym (and physical results from that high performance), but it is also a philosophy to be applied to everything throughout my day. In the past few weeks as this Challenge winded down, I found myself more than ever seeking out new Challenges personally and professionally. I do not fear the discomfort; I embrace it.
I am thankful to Crux Trainer Daniel LeBlanc, his associate trainers, and all the members of Crux for teaching me this invaluable lesson through this Challenge….
But as far as this fitness thing goes, I’ve found my home at Crux and am excited to see what physical and mental feats I can conquer next…. Thanks Suwanee Magazine for this incredible opportunity!!
