Your Body is Talking – Which of These Four Things Is It Saying?
I’ve had a few friends over the years who have asked me to join them for certain “races” like The Tough Mudder or the Spartan Race. Contrary to what many people would probably guess, I don’t like to “rough it.” I much prefer staying at a nice hotel than I do camping in a tent, let alone going through a muddy obstacle course. Let me tell you a little about these “races.”
Among other challenging obstacles, the Tough Mudder makes you crawl through pipes, jump over walls, walk through mud, swim through ice, and carry a teammate a certain distance.
The Spartan Race requires you to jump from tree stump to tree stump while staying balanced, which wouldn’t be too hard except that each stump is covered with slippery mud. What’s more, the Spartan Race makes you jump over a pile of wood that is about 20 feet wide and 1-2 feet tall. Oh, did I mention that it’s also ON FIRE?!
Maybe these obstacle courses sound fun to you, but they’re not quite my cup of tea. In fact, I’d much rather enjoy a cup of tea in the cheering section than I would swimming through ice in the wee hours of the morning.
However, I was thinking about how these obstacle courses relate to our own life. There are times in our lives when we have to “jump over a wall,” “crawl,” “walk through thick mud,” etc. figuratively speaking, of course…maybe. Even a marathon, 10K, or 5K race isn’t a straight and flat course the entire way. Sometimes you have to trek uphill, encounter curves in the road, avoid bumps in the road that can cause you to trip, and of course, after expending tremendous energy running uphill, enjoy the much deserved, glorious downhill “coast.”
So, I want to challenge you today to take a look at your own “race.” Where are you on your course? Maybe you fall into one of these groups:
Maybe life has been good. You’re enjoying the ride, coasting, so to speak. You’re in good health, but you’re bored because you’ve been doing the same exercises and eating the same food for a long time now. Could it be time for a “change in scenery?”
Maybe you’ve been at the “rest stop” for a little too long and it’s time to ramp it up and get back to work. Maybe it’s time to challenge yourself and set a goal. Could it be time for you to “climb a wall?”
Maybe you’ve been “walking through mud” or “climbing uphill” for a very long time and you need to pull over to rest and recover.
Finally, maybe you have been struggling and still can’t make it over the wall. You find yourself constantly getting yourself psyched up, build up all of your energy, and take a running start toward the wall, but you fall short each time. Or maybe you don’t even end up attempting the wall because each time, the wall looks taller and taller and you feel shorter and shorter. Maybe it’s time for you to call on a teammate to give you a lift.
Where do you find yourself today? What do you need at this moment? What is your body asking for? What is your heart yearning for?
Wishing you joyful health in your 50’s,
Kim
Not sure which of these fits me. Probably #3, but because I was raised to push myself it feels more like #2. It is funny how it feels like I could be “doing” more, but the reality is that if someone described all that I am currently doing and working on, I would advise them to do less!!!
Great observations about yourself, Heidi, and thank you for sharing. I think it’s important not to think so much about what might “sound” like too much or too little for YOU. Everyone is different and has different needs at different times. The key thing is to listen to your body and be in tune with how you’re feeling and the results you’re getting. Then you can adjust as necessary.