Category: Life Lessons and Advice

Feeling Down? Turn to WordPress…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

I often feel insignificant.

Like what I say doesn’t matter.Image result for images you matter

No one cares what I do.

Or how I do it.

Or why.

After all, I am one in seven billion people on this planet.  Why SHOULD anyone care?

It’s been a tough week in my little life that no one cares about.  Stressful, anxious, characterized by impatience, draining, running on empty.

With the Open over, one is left ambivalent:  glad but sad.  And I would dare say, lost.

What now?

On a whim, I decide to check out what you all are doing and what’s happening in your lives.

I was led HERE a post where someone actually said I helped them.  Me!  My site.  My words!  My miniscule life.

It was the boost I needed. To persevere.  To strive, to seek, to find, and not to fail.  To push back harder when pushed.  To go against the grain.  To be true to yourself when the world tells you to conform.  To put yourself out there when others won’t.  To be the best you you can be.

You do make a difference.  You do matter.  You are significant.  You are important.  You contribute much more than you could ever dream.

Fight for the good life.  You deserve it.  You will be rewarded.

In your heart.  In your soul.  In others…

That’s what life’s about.

Does Anyone Else Feel Like a Failure in Life?

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

I know I do.Image result for overcoming adversity

Every day.

Of every year.

Perpetually.

Failure in life.  Parenting.  Citizenship.  Relationships.  CrossFit.  Work.  Eating.  Nutrition.  As a wife.  Being a good person.  Caring for others and about others.  Doing things for others.  Being humble.  Cleaning my house.  Reaching out to others.  Getting together with others.

Luckily, failure is temporary and you get another chance.  You can’t dwell on it.  You can’t let others make you feel guilty over it.  It’s how you react in the moment.  You can either let it bring you down or use it to do better next time.  You do the best you can with what you have at the moment.  It’s who you are that will shine through…

Trust in that on the days you feel you can’t do anything right.

It’s who you are at the end of the day that matters…

I am LOVING Blogging…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

Image result for coffee and computer

I’ve been blogging now for eleven years.  I’ve been with WordPress that entire time.  Some blogs of mine are defunct, but I currently run three blogs.

And I’m having the time of my life!

As some of you know, my other passion in life besides CrossFit is writing.  I’ve written eight novels (none of which are published).  Last year, I decided to take a break from novel writing because the rejections from literary agents was killing me.

I started this blog.  And then another.  Along with one I’ve had eight years now.  Besides my time every day doing CrossFit, this is my favorite time of the day.  Writing.  Sharing.  Connecting with you all.  Reading what’s happening in your world, on your side of the globe, and where you all are traveling to and what makes your heart sing.  It has been a true joy to see all of this and learn so much!

I started thinking, “Maybe I’m meant to blog instead of write novels.  I’m insanely good at this after all this practice.  And I love it.”  I even interviewed with a company to blog for them (that I’m hoping to hear from next week!).

Only time will tell.

Right now, I’m embracing every minute of this.  I want to thank you all for making this so enjoyable.  You visit my blog.  You leave comments.  I visit yours.  Learn about your world.  I feel so very blessed being able to do so.

The internet is many things to many people.  Here I believe is one place it shines.  Opening up worlds that before would be unknowable.  Seeing what you see.  Visiting where you visit.  Learning what you know.  Being a part of your world as much as you can be on the Internet.  I am so very blessed…

Thank you, everyone!  I look forward to the future and what you all bring!

Happy blogging!!

Holding Back…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit, Life Lessons and Advice

My hand feels good.  Really good.  To the point I want to be all in again.

I have to tell myself, Not yet.  Hold back.  A few more days.

In the grand scheme of things, a few more days is not that long.  We sleep a bit of it away.  We work some of it.  We spend the rest of the time eating, reading, blogging (of course!), and spending time with our family and doing things together.

Training is just a small part of my life.

Next week, I will probably be 90% in.  I don’t want to lift too heavy right off the bat.  That time will come.  And sooner than my mind tells me.

So like a racehorse who finishes strong, hold back.  The end game is what matters.

 

Image result for finish strong

What is Your Buy-in?

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit, Fitness, Life Lessons and Advice, Nutrition

My nutrition course asked me this, and this is powerful.Image result for why

What is my buy-in?  Why do I want to look the way I’ve always wanted (with abs showing)?  What are my ultimate fitness goals?  Why do I want to reach them?

For long term success, you need to know why you’re doing this.

A couple of weeks ago, I had no answers, and they would have been different.

Now, it’s a whole different game.

The reason I want to have abs I can see is I want to prove to myself:

1) I can do it.

2) I can sustain it.

3) I have a long-term relationship with food I can sustain.

The reason I want to be among the top is:

1)  I don’t ever want to have a movement show up in the Open or in competitions that I can’t do.

2)  To satisfy the drive within that won’t stop no matter what.

3)  I want to conquer this sport.  Period.

My buy in is I want to be the best at my passion.  Who doesn’t?

Injuries and Adversities Make You More Determined to Overcome…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

Image result for setting goals

Before I hurt my wrist, I was going along, happily merry and content.

After I hurt my wrist, I realized I had become a bit complacent.

Injuries make you stop and reflect on what’s happening around you.  You have more time to think about what’s important to you in this world and what your goals are moving forward.

For me, March will be a month of healing.

April and May will be months of hard work to get the two skills I lack:  ring muscle ups and handstand walks.

This summer will be all technique work and strength building.

The fall:  putting it all together.

Winter:  Staying healthy for the Open.

Because my new goal is this:  be in the top 20 in my region in the CrossFit Open next year.  Will I ever make it to Regionals?  Probably not.  Once you’re masters, it’s a worldwide competition.  But I want to be the best ranking in something so I chose this instead.

Getting clear on goals gives you something to live for.  Otherwise, you are floating passively through life, letting life happen to you instead of you happening to life.  And if you’re not careful, you’ll wake up one day and you’re fifty and you’ll wonder where all your time went.

We all hear this so many times we tend to ignore it.  DON’T IGNORE THIS!  We all know someone who died too soon or who didn’t accomplish their mission here on earth or who is just going through the motions.  Don’t be that person!  Start now!

Chop Wood, Carry Water

by crossfitmomm, posted in Book Reviews, Life Lessons and Advice

Image result for chop wood carry waterChop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf is a book that will change your life if you apply all its principles.

In this book we follow John who as a child had a dream to be a samurai archer.  As a young adult, he travels to Japan to make this a reality.

Little does he realize that it takes years to become an archer, not a few weeks.  In fact, he’s not even allowed to touch a bow for months.  First, he had to learn to chop wood and carry water, which he did every day he lived in the complex.  Chop Wood, Carry Water is a euphemism for the process, both internal and external, one must go through to be great.  It’s the fundamentals.  It’s the person you become in the process, while achieving your life skills.

In total, John spends 10 years in Japan before he graduates as an archer.  However, he has gained what most people don’t:  a character that dares to do what others won’t, who works hard in the process, and someone with a purpose in life.

This book is so full of life nuggets that it’s hard to cover all of them in such a short post.  Here are some of my favorite principles from this book:

“Choose to do what others won’t, and eventually you will be able to do what others can’t.”

“My value comes from who I am, not from what I do.”

“You are building your own house.”

“Choosing to believe that anything that happens is in your best interest…will develop within you an ability to change the world.”

“The setbacks of today become the forging blades of greatness for tomorrow.”

“Every little thing we do matters greatly when it is multiplied by the number of times we do it.”

“Focus on the process; control the controllables.”

“In order to reach your greatest potential you must operate with a heart posture of gratitude, commit to the controllables, surrender the outcome, and trust the process.”

GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!  GO TO AMAZON.  ORDER IT.  YOU WON’T REGRET IT.  IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU LET IT.

 

There’s Something Within Me That Wants to Be the Best…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit, Life Lessons and Advice

Image result for achieving dreams

We all have this burning desire to be number one in something.

No matter what it costs us.

That “something” is different for all of us.  But it’s there.  It’s the part of human nature that has made us innovate from the time of the Stone Age till now–the Technology age.

For me, this is CrossFit.

I went to the gym early today to work out by myself.  It was 2 am.  No one was awake or on the streets.  Empty and silent like a forgotten tomb.

I cranked the music and got to work.  I immediately noticed how sore I was–especially my legs.  I had done 18.1 twice now and worked out yesterday as well.  I had lifted heavy on Saturday.  I had deadlifted on Monday.  And here I was…beating myself up again…

And why?

To be number one.

I thought how I’d look to an outside person.

One word:  insane.

It’s 3 am, and I’m working out.  The volume of work I had done since Friday would be enough for the average person for a month.  I’m pushing my body and pushing and pushing.  My legs are sore.  My arms are sore.  I’m bruised and battered.  Yet I’m at it again.

To be number one.

I stayed after my workout to work on handstands and muscle ups.  I can’t get them, and when I can’t get something I work all the more harder because I want it so much more.

To be number one.

At some point I think we all ask ourselves, “Is this worth it?  Is all of this work worth it?”

For me, the answer has always been yes.

I thrive on what others won’t do.  Can’t do.

Quitting is never an option.  Ever.

I’ve gotten this far with this attitude.  This mindset.  This process.  Hard work.

Regionals?

Who knows?

 

The sky’s the limit.  The stars are reachable.  Dreams exist for a reason.

Embrace them.  Strive for them.  Love them.  Cherish them.  Respect them.

But above all don’t quit until your dream is a reality.

Otherwise, life has no meaning…

Trust the Process…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

“Queen Impatient”.db4974f641c5be2292b40f79a31c5d15-travel-inspiration-motivation-inspiration

You could call me that.

So when I tell myself to “trust the process” I feel like such a hypocrite.

But in the end, that’s the only choice I have.  Anything else is undue stress.

Because if you want to be good at anything in life, it takes time.

Handstand walks.

I want them so bad.

And I’m close.

Trust the process.

Olympic lifting.

I want great form.

Small steps.

Trust the process.

Losing weight and maintaining my diet for the rest of my life.

Trust the process.  Trust the process.  Trust the process…

I Feel Blah…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Life Lessons and Advice

Everything in my life right now is blah:  work, CrossFit, health, diet, food, life in general.

CrossFit programming is boring due to prepping for the CrossFit Open.  It’s ceaseless rowing, thrusters, double unders, and burpees.

Work.  Where to start?  I just want to be independently wealthy.

Diet.  I started a new 8 week program.  I’m sticking to it, but I’m about as enthused as an aphid when a ladybug lands on her plant.

Life.

I feel like I’m going through the motions–motions I don’t even like.

My body is bloated.  My sleep sucks.  My period is out of whack.  My stomach hurts.

Menopause?  Stress?  Diet?  Winter Blues?

Who knows?

This, too, shall pass.  This, too, shall pass…