The Size Of The Fight…
We’ve all heard this expression before. It came to mind when I was looking at a particular photo I took during my son’s last lacrosse season. It’s a photo of my son and his teammate, who happens to be one of the best offensive players I’ve had the pleasure of watching play. He also happens to be very small in comparison to many of the other players on the field, particularly some of the guys on defense.
Rainy day…My son and Little Joe waiting for the game to start.
The size difference doesn’t matter one whit to Little Joe. He plays the game with great gusto. He’s fast and light on his feet…and he takes on much bigger players without a second thought. He feints right, then goes left, he stops and changes directions on a dime, he’s got a whole repertoire of fancy footwork to rely on…
…but he’ll go head to head in a New York minute. Little Joe has NO fear in him. He attacks relentlessly and consequently enjoys great success on the field. Now and then he winds up on his backside but he hops back up, eager to get right in there again. That’s what makes him such a great competitor and teammate. His unbridled love for the game and enormous enthusiasm more than make up for what he lacks in size. He’s a beast on the field and those who underestimate him quickly learn the error of their ways.
Little Joe usually wins when he goes head-to-head with the defense.
Incoming!
Little Joe looks forward to challenges and he carries himself with confidence. He’s an excellent example of how to tackle our own challenges whether at work or in the gym. It doesn’t matter if we have some sort of disadvantage, we have to face our opposition (the miserable to deal with co-worker,that loaded bar or someone willfully trying to trip us up) with good cheer, expectations of a positive outcome…and a whole lotta moxie!
Don’t sit it out on the sidelines. Get in there, be smart, feint when you can and hit ’em straight on when you can’t!
Derek Made Me Do It!
I always advise people to find fitness activities that suit their personalities. After all, there’s more than one way to skin the cat. You may or may not find pleasure in lifting weights as I do. Perhaps you’d be much happier swimming laps at the pool for exercise. Maybe tennis appeals to you or you might find that fencing is your thing. What you do doesn’t matter so much as that you do something to keep your body moving and keep your muscles challenged. There isn’t much to be gained by forcing yourself to do things you don’t enjoy.
Every day I see people at the gym who have that grim look pasted to their faces. They’re obviously miserable and their approach to exercise lacks any spark of joy. You know when someone enjoys what they do. I happen to love lifting. My friend Derek loves, lifting, swimming and running too. He does it all and he does it with great enthusiasm. That’s why I love having him for a friend. He’s absolutely inspiring. No way I’m going running or swimming but that doesn’t matter. I get great pleasure watching him pursue his fitness interests and it gives me more energy to chase my own goals.
Put simply, Derek has a great positive approach to exercise and it makes me happy to see him go after it day after day. I get a kick out of his enthusiasm. He’s always testing the boundaries and trying new things and feats of strength. I see them and I want to do them too. Sometimes I’m very successful and sometimes….
The moral of this story is to surround yourself with people who love what they’re doing. It doesn’t have to be exactly the same thing you choose. You may or may not be able to do what they do but attitude really is everything and success breeds success.
This is what made me want to try the weighted push ups. I couldn’t do it (yet) but sure had a good time trying!
Derek makes fun out of work. He’s obviously no stranger to the grind. His physique tells a story of dedication and great effort and his photos tell you how much he enjoys what he does. I can’t always do what he does but I like to try…so if you see me at the gym hanging upside down or swinging from an overhead bar, there’s a good chance that he was my motivation. That’s right, any shenanigans in the gym and I’m saying Derek made me do it!
Life In The Gym 