You know what is easy? Doing Nothing.
It's not easy to get the life you want, to chase a dream, to create happiness, to achieve goals. It requires action.. and sometimes doing something different to the usual or nothing which comes as easy as it is to say the word itself. I think this plays a big part in why a lot of people fall short, give up or not even attempt to try more.
Since I was young I found myself striving for more, whether it was on the field playing sport. To become the best I could be. Im talking about pushing the body past its limits to become more athletically. I think this can relate to a lot of areas of life, that mental battle we face. In this particular situation when going for a jog or run, The "angel and devil" in our head or you could say the bullshit story we tell ourselves.
I remember my moment that I proved to myself that my will to get what I want was bigger than the challenge that I faced.
It was grade 5 and it was cross country day. Our primary school had a big AFL oval plus another smaller one. I don't know the exact dimensions but maybe 1.5-2kms distance to run the course distance. Most of my athletic friends were in the opposing team so I didn't want to loose and not have the glory. I used to train myself at home running around the vineyards or the around the block, pushing myself to physical weakness and pain just for these events. Long story short we did our 2 of 3 laps and on the last lap, in pain with stitches I found myself trailing 100 metres behind my 2 best friends. Fighting off the stitches, the exhausted feeling in my legs and lungs I kept my head down looking at the dirt and kept urging myself "You got this!". I found myself 50 metres behind my friends who were running side by side for the last 60metres of the course, the final stretch. At this point the aches were growing, the devil was saying "stop, it's okay, you can walk, you are in pain. 3rd is ok"... But it was the burning desire of the angel that pushed me on - "Last chance, GO!" I told myself and that runners high kicked in, where you just use everything you have in you to move as quickly as you can no time to think about pains, stitches or breathing properly just move! I gained momentum and caught up very quickly to my friends who were spent from the past laps themselves, unaware of me gaining speed and metres on them, I burst around them with 20 metres to go and crossed the finish line 1st place!
This was one of the happiest and rewarding moments of my primary athletics history. Now this is all fine and great for me but what did I learn from this experience?
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You want great you have to earn it. Whatever you want comes with challenges. Mentally or Physically. It will be hard. Just like those stitches you get from running, the burning pain you get from lifting weights. They are going to be there... BUT It's up to you whether you take the easy road and give in, prove those who doubted you right OR take the challenging road, break barriers, work hard, fight and prove those doubters wrong.
You can have anything you want in life, only if you are willing to do whatever it takes to get it.
Think back to your moment... If you don't have one, create one now. If you can only do 20 push ups... do 50. Keep going until you get it.
Prove to yourself you have what it takes to overcome any challenge, big or small, that you may face and achieve what it is you want in your life. Break your own barriers and change your story.
Your Potential is Infinite. Carlo.