Originally Published: 12/15/17 by Brandon
Note: Digging back through old content I found this gem, gym, jim? It helped me out, so I hope you’ll enjoy it and get a little shift too. -B
My beautiful four-year-old daughter came from the factory full of glitter and laughter, but she is 4. Sometimes she gets pretty upset (weeping, teeth gnashing, etc.), about silly things. A little setback to her plans (Daddy said no) can really throw her for a loop. So, we have a new saying at our house, “Gratitude helps your attitude.” Whenever she’s tempted to throw a tantrum, we remind her that there is a lot for which she can be grateful. 60% of the time, it works every time.
Do you ever have to quiet your inner 4-year-old? You planned to hit a particular lift, finally make a pull-up unassisted, and mean old Mr. Gravity made an appearance and derailed your plans. He’s the worst sometimes, I know. Then the sangriness sets in. Sangriness is a more fun way to say disappointment and frustration. Try it next time.
You can feel the pout taking shape, as if someone were smashing a mask on your face. The urge to kick things and cry appears like a summer thunderstorm out of nowhere. Just then, consider all there is for which you can be grateful. You’re probably standing in a room full of people you like, doing something you love, with coaches who love you. Most likely they were cheering you on just moments ago as you approached the bar and have already begun consoling you and looking forward to your next attempt.
Embrace the ups and downs of training and the community who moves through them with you. Take a moment to say thank you for the experience that just taught you one more way not to do it. Say thank you to the classmates who greet you with smiles and cheer you on each day. Say thank you to the coach who is trying to squeeze every bit of awesome out of you each day. I bet you could come up with 100 more thank yous in the next 10 minutes if you really tried.
We see unlimited potential in you. A missed attempt, a cheat meal, an illness are all setbacks. True. But they might be the single solitary cloud in an otherwise sunshiny blue sky. Don’t Eeyore your way through your training and life. Remember, “Gratitude helps your attitude.”
-B