Jun 10, 2009 | 9:43 am
Down with the Weakness
So, today I battled my inner thoughts once again and stepped into a group training class at my gym. I knew that today was legs and lower body which is where I excel. You might say that’s my strength. However, I worked my legs out hard core two days ago so they were feeling wobbly. And my head was a mess.
I woke up early, I stumbled out of bed, I dragged myself to the gym, I reluctantly got on the treadmill, and I ran though every excuse not to go to the class. It doesn’t matter, I don’t have to go, I’ve already worked out enough, I need to rest my legs, etc. What fear was I avoiding. I’ll give my fearless living peeps a few moments to figure out the answer to that question…
The answer was that I didn’t want to show people that I was weak. I have avoided showing physical weakness for years. I hated gym class when I was growing up. I would rather have gone and written a paper than move a muscle. It wasn’t until theater and dance that I could show up and sweat around other people and to this day I can jump into the most strenuous dance class and keep up without fear.
The difference became apparent this morning when we were doing a gruesome exercise for our thighs. One student teased another, “Oops, your leg’s dropping! C’mon, get it up!” and “I think Neal’s getting weak!” What was I hearing? Where’s the support? Where’s the comaraderie? How dare you point out that poor man’s weakness.
I don’t do well with people seeing my physical weakness. And especially calling it out and making a point of it. So I’ll hide, I’ll joke, I’ll avoid - anything where I might be at risk of being called out for this weakness.
And what I saw today was that how I react to weakness isn’t the same for everybody. Some people are just fine with it, and others are motivated by it. And my lesson today was that by showing my weakness, I can begin to build up strength, stamina, and overall fitness.
I’ll tell you now that my strengths were in my inner thighs and my calves. My weaknesses are in my hamstrings and knees. Now I have something to build on. And if someone kids me about my weakness, I’ll choose to be grateful that I have the opportunity to show a weakness, be vulnerable, and receive it as love.
I’m down with my weaknesses.
Homework: Identify a weakness and see it as your biggest source of strength. It is so because the work you must do to overcome that deficiency is so great you must be excelling somewhere.
Very Truly Yours,
Joseph Lyons