Community Care is one of our six core values at Swamp Rabbit CrossFit. It means a lot of things to us. We care about and for the community that mixes it up inside the box. We care about the friends, families, and other people with whom you live life. We care about the neighborhood we serve and want to make an impact in it.
One reason for our deep concern for community is that there’s not much encouragement found in loneliness.
What is encouragement?
It’s more than empty platitudes. “You can do it!” will only carry you so far when the going gets tough.
It’s more than clapping and cheering at the end of a WOD for someone who is fighting through the last round of a tough day.
“Just Add Courage”
To encourage someone is to literally add courage to them. To acknowledge the difficulty of their task, to approach it with realistic optimism, and then to lend them some of your courage. When you encourage someone, you’re like the weight belt that helps them to brace harder against a heavy load. You don’t take the work from them. Instead, you support them so that they can do the hard work themselves.
Why do we need courage?
Duh, look around. Life is tough, even in the most comfortable time and place there has ever been in the history of the world. It’s even tougher if you’re going it alone! When we face tough situations it can sap the motivation and desire from even the strongest people. That’s when we need encouragement.
Fortunately, we have the perfect encouragement lab at SRCF! Where else can you pick up daunting but achievable tasks and push yourself a little beyond what you thought was possible every day? Every day you get to mix it up with the community, to lend courage to those who are drooping or receive some when it’s your turn to be the nail instead of the hammer.
THE CHALLENGE
We need our community to be a place that strengthens and adds courage to one another! Here’s a challenge for your week. Find one person each time you come to the gym, think about how you can genuinely encourage them, and actually do it! Our community is one place where the more you give, the more you get back. Encouragement is not a zero sum game! The more we all share, the stronger we grow together.
-B
P.S. – The better you get at encouragement in the gym, the more you’ll see opportunities to build people up “in real life.” Do it! Our communities need your support. Get strong at SRCF so you can be strong at home, at work, and in the other spaces where you lend strength!