Push Yourself

My alarm clock went off at 4:45AM, announcing that it was time to get my sorry butt out of bed and go to the gym and hit the treadmill. I was hurting so bad yesterday that I decided to go for a long bike ride instead which, because of my seat that I am convinced was crafted by a hairy Hungarian woman named Elga, only proceeded to bruise my tushi.

So there I sat, staring at the red ominous glow of my alarm clock. I could feel my poor knees saying, "Don't you think about it." My cowardly feet pretended to remain asleep; amazing how they won't do that for me when I am stressing. My shoulders and lower back said, "isn't this nice comfortable bed so much better than getting out there in the dark?"

And then my butt said, "I am still hurting from that thing you call a bicycle seat so don't even think I am going bud. You can go without me!"It was a struggle but I got up, despite all of my body parts complaining in full force. But let me tell you, I refused to listen. I popped on my music on my phone, found something jazzy and off I went.

Sometimes, my friends, we have to push ourselves. Life will inevitably make it easy for us to choose the path of least resistance. Yes a warm comfortable bed sounds so much more appealing than getting up at the ass crack of dawn and going running. But if I only go the easy route, I would just been letting myself down. I have done too much of that in my life and refuse to do it anymore. So I push myself.

I trudge mile after mile with two bad knees, bad lungs (thanks to childhood and adult asthma) and plethora of other physical aliments that tell me to quit NOW! No one is pointing a gun to my head and saying go run or else. Nope it's just me, me and my conscience. And no matter how bad I feel at the end of the run, I feel somehow oddly feel way better. I feel better on so many levels.

Pushing ourselves whether to lose weight, have better manners, acquire more education, be a better boss or whatever, takes work and commitment. Procrastination and more appealing alternatives will always exist and will inevitably look so much better than the work you have to do. But will it make you feel better about yourself? Will it bring you further to your goal or take you much, much further away from it?

You know the answer. I know the answer. My body parts hate the answer but alas they don't get a vote here.

Push yourself this week, next week and until you achieve whatever it is that you want to achieve. For me, I just want to look and feel more healthy and you know what, I am.

Like our friends at Nike say, "Just Do It!"

Ripple On!!!

ICYMI: Take Your Shot