Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 57 – Keeping your perspective
A few buddies and I started to e-mail to keep up with progress on the Homegrown Muscle series. We have since continued with varying programs but continue to offer one another advice, motivation and a few laughs along the way. One issue that came up just this past week was how we have all progressed. Remember when you first began and you felt self-conscious and even intimidated by the big guys who were lifting weight that you thought you would never be able to lift. Now, with a few programs under your belt, you have risen a bit in the pecking order. There are still the big guys, but perhaps a few new guys that see you in that way, too. And, there are friends and people you work with who have begun to notice the changes you have made. You have progressed and your personal bests have steadily improved. How do you deal with that? Is it bragging to talk about your personal best or about a particular achievement? Is it bravado to sport that newly built muscle from time to time? The answer to that is a qualified, no. As with any accomplishment, you have to keep things in perspective. You have a goal and you are reaching it, step by step. If there is no reward, there is little in the way of incentive to keep going. Often that reward is becoming aware of the way you look and feel and the way others see you. With that awareness, it can be easy to fall into the trap that will have you using your newfound fitness, your hard won gains, to intimidate others. It’s not a path that you want to take and it will ultimately make you much less than what you sought to be.
Take pride in every step but seek humility in the journey.
Have a great week, guys.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
You want us to keep paddling around in the shallow end, with all the wusses?
__________________
Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable. -- Sidney J. Harris
Well said Mahler. I know exactly where you are coming from about starting out and being the weakest guy. Although I'm not the strongest in my gym, it's one of the things that keeps me going there. It was just last November where I was doing a measly 95 pounds for Deadlifts and this last Saturday I pulled 5 at 185.
Originally posted by C. Dorr: Well said Mahler. I know exactly where you are coming from about starting out and being the weakest guy. Although I'm not the strongest in my gym, it's one of the things that keeps me going there. It was just last November where I was doing a measly 95 pounds for Deadlifts and this last Saturday I pulled 5 at 185.
Originally posted by hard_rox: Nicely said Mahler.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
I was begining to think that CE forum had been relocated to the HGM group.... [img]tongue.gif[/img]
Originally posted by hard_rox: Nicely said Mahler.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
I have a story that relates. It was last spring about this time...I'd been lifting pretty regular for about a year or so and motivation was at an all time low. It seemed that no matter where I looked everyone was bigger\stronger\faster than I was. I was mid-workout feeling sorry for myself, looking around..."that guy's bigger, that guy's bigger, that guy's bigger...jesus holy christ! I don't even know who that guy is and even he's bigger than I am! WHY CAN'T I LOOK LIKE THAT?!!!" Of course I was doing all this scoping out in the mirror, because no one can ever tell you're gauking at them in the mirror . Come to find out in addition to being scrawny I'm also stupid. That last guy in the mirror was me.
Great post! What a fantastic way of looking at the gains we make in perspective. I am on the older and a bit scrawny side and I do appreciate the help and guidance of the folks who have been dong this for a lot longer than I.
Originally posted by hard_rox: Nicely said Mahler.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
Originally posted by hard_rox: Nicely said Mahler.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
You mustn't be from Ontario.
Pit bulls have just been banned, and only the criminals have hand guns.
__________________
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
Originally posted by hard_rox: Nicely said Mahler.
I'm the biggest guy at my gym and if anyone comes in and thinks they're tougher than I am, I just show them my hand gun and pitbull. [img]tongue.gif[/img]
PS - before anyone goes off the deep end, that's an inside joke.
You mustn't be from Ontario.
Pit bulls have just been banned, and only the criminals have hand guns.
__________________
A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
Thanks Mahler! I don't know if I'm that far yet, but, my wife keeps telling me I'm looking good, so I'll keep it up . I know a couple of guys at work have noticed a different attitude in me. I'm a little more confident and I don't take their fat jokes anymore. I think I like this, LOL. Congrats on the lift, Chris, keep up the good work!
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