Today a good friend (and workout buddy) of mine and I were discussing how he was dreading having to study for a Chinese exam that night. This conversation lead us to flip the narrative and imagine if he were excited to study for this exam, how his life would change. What if we actually enjoyed the things we are taught to dread, the things that challenge us, and the very things that create change in us? Earlier on, we had been discussing workout consistency and its string of effects on other aspects of our lives. When we have a great workout, there is something that pushed us to challenge ourselves in that moment. Something that inspired us to go beyond what we did the previous day. Something that caused us to feel a sense of pride when we left Skoglund dripping in sweat. Maybe it was that feeling of soaring when you sprinted around the upper track. Maybe it was the burn you’ve never experienced quite so intensely on those weighted squats you did. Or maybe it was that feeling of exhaustion to the point of collapse when you completed more reps than you ever have. Whatever it is, it pushed your body physically which is an exercise in challenging your mental capacity. It takes focus and drive to reach a new PR and the majority of that focus and drive is mental. Once you experience this euphoria, you are motivated to re-experience it. You become entranced by experimenting with this perfect combination of mental and physical strength. Pushing, changing, transforming; the results are merely a satisfying side effect. You become content with the process, not the outcomes. Yes, results motivate you, but those are only extrinsic factors. You know the real drive, the real satisfaction, the real euphoria comes from within. Once you become attached to this feeling, you seek it every day. You want more all of the time. You develop a workout routine, a plan, because “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” A resolution becomes a lifestyle. The lifestyle is a groove. The groove is a string of days in a row trying to be your best. You start to dread the Rest Days. You start to love to move. The gymnasium becomes your playground, a laboratory to test your tenacity. Four miles, impossible to complete a month ago, is suddenly a piece of cake. You add in sprints. You increase mileage. Your time gets quicker. Best of all, you finally experience that elusive “runner’s high.” You run so fast that you understand what it must feel like to prance across water like a swift insect. You let the world blur around you as you sink into yourself, into your mind, into your body, out of your surroundings. You let the beat of the music pulse through your aching muscles, feeding them, driving them forwards, sweeping you across the track. This is your zone. This is your flow. This is your peace. In the pain you find contentment. In your discomfort you find strength. In this moment you test your character. Your mind, your body, your soul. This experience of self discovery leads you to seek more, in every facet of your life. You begin to search for it in the classroom. In your relationships. In your own personal passions. This dedication, this drive, this persistence can be applied to any and all activities or scenarios. Because of this, I have learned to embrace the uncomfortable, to seek out challenges, and to never stop pushing. Because when you push your body, you push your mind, and you find out so much about your spirit.
“Whatever makes you uncomfortable is your biggest opportunity for growth.”
-Bryant McGill