#lovethestruggle

9 plus miles.  All UP HILL.  The relay leg was called the Beast.  That is what struggle looks like...

Without struggle, there is no progress. 

That is the motto I chose for my gym.  The inspiration came from the following excerpt from a speech delivered by Frederick Douglas:

“Let me give you a word of the philosophy of reform. The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress” - See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/1857-frederick-douglass-if-there-no-struggle-there-no-progress#sthash.qLIQpUkb.dpuf

Some may think it was a bit audacious to utilize the words of a man who lived during a time where his struggle and that of an entire race of people was far more severe than what any one of us today could imagine.  But it is neither my intention nor desire to draw any comparisons.  Instead, his words simply struck such a deep and powerful cord in me that I felt compelled to incorporate it into my life, my career, and my future. 

I have struggled.  We have all struggled.  But I think it is necessary to define “the struggle”.  What is the struggle? 

My definition of the struggle is that there is no definition.  The struggle – an individual’s struggle – is the most personal and private thing one could ever experience.  We are so quick to share our joys and our happiness, quick to even express our fears and concerns.  But our struggles… those thoughts that keep us up at night alone staring into darkness wondering how we are going to ever just “be ok”… those emotions that seem so painful that every time you feel them you look nervously around because you are afraid someone can feel them too… those are our struggles and we dare not share them with just anyone.   

The struggle isn’t sadness or despair… it lives far beneath those things.  The struggle is like the Boogeyman under your bed.  He isn’t really there, he isn’t really real.  But he is real.  He is real because you believe in him and no matter what anyone else says you know he is there, waiting, hoping for you to slip just one more time.  You live in fear of the struggle – just like the Boogeyman – so much so that you live trapped by this fear… don’t let your foot hang off the bed and MAKE sure to keep your whole body covered by the covers, or else he will get you.

 

The struggle is a devil in disguise.  The struggle tells you it is ok to feel bad and pity yourself.  The struggle tries to provide a false sense of comfort in your life by guaranteeing you will never, ever make it so there is no point in even trying.  “You aren’t quitting because it’s hard, you are quitting because it is impossible” your struggle will tell you.  And like quicksand, sometimes the more you fight against it, the more you lose yourself in it. 

But… without the struggle there is no progress.

If we desire progress, we need the struggle.  It is the pathway – the ONLY way – to our goals.

You want good grades?  You spend hours studying, struggling to learn and comprehend the most complex of ideas and thoughts to prepare to ace the exam. 

You want to that promotion?  You spend your entire career, struggling to demonstrate your value and worth to your company and to your boss in hopes of scoring that big promotion. 

You want to get strong?  You spend day after day, nursing aches and pains, launching your body under heavier and heavier weights always chasing those elusive PRs. 

This realization is what allows us to evolve and grow beyond our wildest imaginations.  Once we accept the struggle as a necessary means to an end, we no longer live in fear.  It no longer controls us, but instead it propels us forward.  It motivates us, it agitates us and excites us all at the same time and leads us towards the only direction we truly care about: progress. 

In my CrossFit gym, in every single class I teach, I implore my athletes, my members, my friends to understand this concept.  Our training is never just about lifting more weight, moving faster, getting stronger, looking better… it is about learning that struggling is ok.  Every missed lift, every failed attempt, every last place finish is a step towards progress and towards achieving our goals.  It is true in our gym, in our classes, and every bit as true in life as well. 

So I encourage all of you to learn to love your struggle.  That doesn’t mean walk around with a smile on your face 24/7 acting like nothing is ever wrong.  On the contrary, it means embrace your anger, your frustration, and your disappointment and use it as a tool to take one big step forward instead of two steps back.  Make your mistakes and learn your lessons and be thankful for your newfound growth and knowledge.  Sleep well knowing your struggles are constantly bringing you one step closer, always moving you towards your dreams and never away from them.  Struggling is just life’s way of telling you “Hey… you are on the right path.  Hang in there.”

#lovethestruggle