My 6 weeks progress report on Walking the Path
Okay people, it's been more than 6 weeks, a little past 7 weeks in fact, since The Path. Man, does the time fly! I remember it was either Scott or Steve that told us we've been had, we've been conned, that we were under the impression that we signed up for a one day seminar when in actuality, we were on for a 6 week ride. Lemme tell you, this past 6 (7) weeks have been absolutely amazing.
For starters, let me make it clear that in no way did I do everything by-the-letter perfect. I let Resistance (in forms of rationalization and laziness) get the best of me on multiple occasions. I did not, according to plan, do my FlowFit and Intu-Flow 3-4 times a week and everyday, respectively, without fail. There were many times where I entertained the thought of giving up. Please don't beat yourselves up over this, if you are. It's not wrong, it's human.
The good new is: the direction of my life has taken a irrevocably distinctive turn. For one thing, I haven't touched a cigarette since the night before The Path. Now, I've been smoking since I was twelve years old, with a two year hiatus during 18-19 years old. But needless to say, I've been a long term smoker. Like all smokers, I secretly desired to quit, underneath all the self-deception and rationalization of "I'll quit when I'm ready" or "I just enjoy it." Everytime I attempted to give up the cancer stick, notice I said "attempted" because that was what it was, just an limp attempt to outwardly satisfy my conscious mind, ended in miserable failure. Fear would always linger in the back of my mind, "is this time for real? Will I really quit this time?" As if it was not my choice, as if it was out of my own control. Not this time, because I discovered something else that I desired and worked better than smoking: breathing. Now I've moved from not being active at all (since I got out of the Marine Corps) to doing kettlebells and clubbells, FlowFit and Intu-Flow, pullups and dips, and running around my neighborhood (I haven't ran since I've been out, making all kinds of excuse, doing anything BUT run.) My progress is slow but steady. Everytime I fail (not exercising when I should have) I reflect on that and learn from it. As a result my consistency in being active has been improving, from nil to 4 times a week. That's the biggest challenge for me, not the actual exercise, but getting off my butt to exercise. I'm sure many of you can relate. It was easy in the military to be fit, as we have external forces pushing us, but real strength, I believe, comes from the ability to be a self-starter. To be able to handle independence and freedom. That is maturity, and that is something I've been learning this past 6 weeks, to be able to stand alone and still perform.
Thank you Scott, for showing me what I consider to be the most important thing I've ever learned for health and fitness; you taught me to trust myself, to be my own coach. As Jean-Paul Sartre said: we were all "thrust into the world." Growing up, we all look to other people for direction, advice, and what to do. We look to our elders, we look the people stronger than us, we look to more "successful" people, we look to people who are either "cooler" than us, or more "attractive." We look everywhere but within ourselves. Ironic, isn't it? as the answer is right in front of us. So now, instead of looking to sets/reps or a specific "build your beach body in 6 weeks!" workout regimen, which I'd inevitably half ass it then quit because I'm so miserable not listening to myself, forcing myself to do something I don't enjoy, I "gave myself permission" to trust my own instincts, to train Intuitively. So thank you Scott, for not giving me a fish, but teaching me how to fish.
To Steve, thank you, for you broke it down in a way that resonated with me, the importance of breath in my body, mind, and spirit. I was able to connect how it impacted my everyday life. You showed me that I am not the Drunken Monkey, I am the one listening to the Drunken Monkey. You taught me that I have all the time in the world to achieve what I want, and no time to waste. I had to think about that one a bit. Before I'd always start out strong, motivated, but ended up quitting because I was too impatient for the result. I wanted a magic pill. Now I realize that true permanent change is not focused on behavior, but beliefs and lifestyle. This kind of baby-step approach results in a lasting difference, rather than just another immemorable phase in our life. You also reminded me not just use baby-steps as a convenient excuse to wait for the "perfect moment" to start our progress. There never was a moment in time, and never will be, where we did not have the power to change. So I got off my buttocks and embarked on my imperfect journey with imperfect preparations with my imperfect self. And I never looked back.
And the biggest thanks goes to myself. Thank you Gino, for giving yourself permission to succeed. Thank you for forcing yourself to go to The Path, for taking seriously what you learn, and for making the choice to better yourself. Without your own decision, a thousand Scott Sonnons and a thousand Steven Barnes would not have made a difference.
Did my 6 weeks go perfect? Obviously not, but does it matter? No. Should it be perfect? An even bigger and resounding NO! How can we learn if everything's perfect? We learn from mistakes right? So let's give ourselves the permission to failure, and let us continue on our imperfect Path. It is human. It is beautiful.
For starters, let me make it clear that in no way did I do everything by-the-letter perfect. I let Resistance (in forms of rationalization and laziness) get the best of me on multiple occasions. I did not, according to plan, do my FlowFit and Intu-Flow 3-4 times a week and everyday, respectively, without fail. There were many times where I entertained the thought of giving up. Please don't beat yourselves up over this, if you are. It's not wrong, it's human.
The good new is: the direction of my life has taken a irrevocably distinctive turn. For one thing, I haven't touched a cigarette since the night before The Path. Now, I've been smoking since I was twelve years old, with a two year hiatus during 18-19 years old. But needless to say, I've been a long term smoker. Like all smokers, I secretly desired to quit, underneath all the self-deception and rationalization of "I'll quit when I'm ready" or "I just enjoy it." Everytime I attempted to give up the cancer stick, notice I said "attempted" because that was what it was, just an limp attempt to outwardly satisfy my conscious mind, ended in miserable failure. Fear would always linger in the back of my mind, "is this time for real? Will I really quit this time?" As if it was not my choice, as if it was out of my own control. Not this time, because I discovered something else that I desired and worked better than smoking: breathing. Now I've moved from not being active at all (since I got out of the Marine Corps) to doing kettlebells and clubbells, FlowFit and Intu-Flow, pullups and dips, and running around my neighborhood (I haven't ran since I've been out, making all kinds of excuse, doing anything BUT run.) My progress is slow but steady. Everytime I fail (not exercising when I should have) I reflect on that and learn from it. As a result my consistency in being active has been improving, from nil to 4 times a week. That's the biggest challenge for me, not the actual exercise, but getting off my butt to exercise. I'm sure many of you can relate. It was easy in the military to be fit, as we have external forces pushing us, but real strength, I believe, comes from the ability to be a self-starter. To be able to handle independence and freedom. That is maturity, and that is something I've been learning this past 6 weeks, to be able to stand alone and still perform.
Thank you Scott, for showing me what I consider to be the most important thing I've ever learned for health and fitness; you taught me to trust myself, to be my own coach. As Jean-Paul Sartre said: we were all "thrust into the world." Growing up, we all look to other people for direction, advice, and what to do. We look to our elders, we look the people stronger than us, we look to more "successful" people, we look to people who are either "cooler" than us, or more "attractive." We look everywhere but within ourselves. Ironic, isn't it? as the answer is right in front of us. So now, instead of looking to sets/reps or a specific "build your beach body in 6 weeks!" workout regimen, which I'd inevitably half ass it then quit because I'm so miserable not listening to myself, forcing myself to do something I don't enjoy, I "gave myself permission" to trust my own instincts, to train Intuitively. So thank you Scott, for not giving me a fish, but teaching me how to fish.
To Steve, thank you, for you broke it down in a way that resonated with me, the importance of breath in my body, mind, and spirit. I was able to connect how it impacted my everyday life. You showed me that I am not the Drunken Monkey, I am the one listening to the Drunken Monkey. You taught me that I have all the time in the world to achieve what I want, and no time to waste. I had to think about that one a bit. Before I'd always start out strong, motivated, but ended up quitting because I was too impatient for the result. I wanted a magic pill. Now I realize that true permanent change is not focused on behavior, but beliefs and lifestyle. This kind of baby-step approach results in a lasting difference, rather than just another immemorable phase in our life. You also reminded me not just use baby-steps as a convenient excuse to wait for the "perfect moment" to start our progress. There never was a moment in time, and never will be, where we did not have the power to change. So I got off my buttocks and embarked on my imperfect journey with imperfect preparations with my imperfect self. And I never looked back.
And the biggest thanks goes to myself. Thank you Gino, for giving yourself permission to succeed. Thank you for forcing yourself to go to The Path, for taking seriously what you learn, and for making the choice to better yourself. Without your own decision, a thousand Scott Sonnons and a thousand Steven Barnes would not have made a difference.
Did my 6 weeks go perfect? Obviously not, but does it matter? No. Should it be perfect? An even bigger and resounding NO! How can we learn if everything's perfect? We learn from mistakes right? So let's give ourselves the permission to failure, and let us continue on our imperfect Path. It is human. It is beautiful.
posted by SeekerOfLife | 4:14 PM
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