positive growth through negative counts.

one-thousand one, one-thousand two, one thousand three – zero – one-thousand one – zero.

this count is rolling through my mind. seconds to remember on top of reps to perform. the numbers blur together. but, i keep the pace slow and steady. be patient and just breathe. muscles are stretching beneath my skin and growing; forming new cells and memory to help me perform better on the next set. i keep a continued pace of motion that will lead to a stronger body of performance. you will see the muscles have grown over my arms, my legs, my chest and back. but, what about the muscle that we hold inside of us? the muscle that not only pumps blood and life force through our body but is the very essence of our love, compassion, caring, and commitment to ourselves and others?

a close friend of mine has finally given crossfit a “3, 2, 1, GO!” in her life after listening to me express my love for it over the past year of our relationship. it feels good to know that i finally converted someone to our incredible community that is not just about throwing heavy weight around but is also the foundation of building strong friendships with the members of your box. during a recent conversation between us, i was explaining to her that part of my strength training consists of “negatives” in relation to lifting weights. practicing a “negative count” or “eccentric muscle action” can produce the most force-output and is one of the most effective ways to muscle growth. after hearing this, she made the connection that what eccentric muscle action does to our muscular body, it is also the same action that our heart goes through when working through personal growth.

i inhaled. and felt the flow and connection of these movements intertwine. she left me in contemplation. the pace at which we move through an event is always changing but sometimes our heart muscles need to grow slowly. just like with the lifting and lowering of weights, i imagine the heart muscles opening and closing through contractions that allow the pain to unfold to let the oxygen of the healing give way to a release. and it opens; ignited with a flicker of light that signifies you are ready to move on. i began to challenge my own thoughts and feelings concerning this correlation and put it into a “positive action” regarding my relationships with my parents, roommates, friends, lovers, teammates and with my goals as an athlete.

i asked myself three questions to continue to move through this process of growth within my heart & at the box:

1. what has changed between you and the person you are growing with or away from?
2. do you know how to tap into your core strength and keep that locked in when faced with difficult circumstances or changes in your life?
3. are you a better human being with that person/event/job/activity in your life?

take a rest. no. actually, take a breath and step away from the world and ask yourself how these questions relate to your personal relationships. to your career. to your family. to your partner. to your teammates and your own goals associated to your workouts.
to YOU. the relationship with YOURSELF.

the negative count of our growth can transform into something incredibly positive, if that is what our truest power desires.
i choose to be in my power. what about you?