Auxi1iary Work
At 35 years old, I decided I wanted to become a CrossFit athlete.
Was it a cult? Yes. Did I overindulge in all that a gym can be? Absolutely. Was I in pain and found myself limping around like an idiot? You bet I did.
This was all done for vanity. I had no desire to run a 5K, grope a rig like a monkey, or even sweat a lot. I had bloomed out to a place where I couldn’t walk up a staircase without being out of breath, a size 16 was being kind, and my face was basically a balloon. I didn’t need a nutritionist; I needed the most extreme sport I could find to beat the crap out of me.
At first, the gym was a “cute thing” - until they put a barbell in my hand. My short, stubby legs and arms just happened to be cut out for greatness when it came to Olympic Weightlifting. It is funny how a piece of steel can teach you who you really are. What I didn’t know was that it was unraveling who I could become.
Hobbies are good, and we need them. Our mind can’t continue spinning out of control, and it won’t stop even if you want it to. But, you can redirect it. You can find a release in something else - ANYTHING else. Yes, I wanted my body to change with the Crossfit gym, but I also wanted another part of who I am to develop. I wanted different PEOPLE around me who did different things than I do. I found different stimulating conversations about things I knew nothing about. I wanted that layer. But most of all, I wanted to see how far I could go.
The strategy of a great Weight Lifter is to know where you begin the lift, and to end at a weight that is smart and challenging. You can’t “shoot your load” (horrible gym-ism, but effective) with the second lift. On the other hand, to slow of a build is a waste of time and energy. My problem, and gift, was that I was naturally and ridiculously strong. Who knew? Give me ALL the plates in the gym - I wanted total domination, and I wanted it fast. I understood body alignment quickly, and could apply a correction within an instant. My “warm-up” weight was what other women WANTED to be able to lift on a good day. This is where the “going to far” part bit me in the ass, but I didn’t care. I had a high like no other. There was one thing that I kept to myself. There was one “lifter’s secret” that I never told anyone.
I BELIEVED I could lift any weight you would put on the bar. As a matter of fact, I SAW myself successfully lift that weight in my mind. I didn’t have the most beautiful abs or the best-looking stretch pants to wear. I stood in my joggers, looking at that bar and saying, “Let’s go, friend. I got you” And, I always did.
This didn’t happen overnight; actually, it was about ten years until it all started to really sing. Here is the takeaway - my mind continued down the path of “How far can you go, Susan?”That barbell sharpened my thoughts. I now know what I think I can’t do, I can actually do, and do WELL. The push to the next phase isn’t scary anymore. The “push phase” is what I look forward to - and that is a crazy outcome!
My “Crossfit want to be career” ambitions have since passed, but I’m still in the gym. Today, after an upper body class, I decided to do a little extra. It made me think about what other little extras can come into fruition, and why they haven’t. Don’t blame it on time - don’t even try. You and I know there is time, and there should be time for what is important for your well-being. There is also time to take your good intentions and your business one more baby step. Your head game needs to be used for the greater good.
I also realized that admitting there are issues is my biggest issue. “I’m so weak, I”m so fat, I can’t run on the treadmill, I can’t bend down to pick up this weight”. Of course I can. Of course I did. I may not have the skill anymore, but I will never have the skill if I don’t show up. I’ve found this haunting me in my business. In this new position of mine, I’m not the “specialist” yet. I’m in a learning phase - again. It’s daunting, and I’m feeling displaced. I am seeing that I have to accept that I just don’t know certain things. However, this doesn’t mean I won’t “know” them forever. It just means now is the time to find the learnings to get me to where I need to be. That is your AUXILIARY WORK. What supplemental steps will build your platform? The thought that I will have this all figured out today, and will continue to have it figured out, is a smoke screen. Our lives, and our business, are ever evolving. Evolve with it, and get over the idea that you phased out of your moment to shine. There is always a spotlight waiting for you-when you are ready.
My coach used to tell me that there are no arms in weight lifting. What he meant was that your arms are there to guide the bar, but the rest of your body and mind are actually lifting the weight. YOU have so many larger “muscles’ to help in the heavy lifting. If we don’t do that extra work to develop them, then we are stagnant. I’ve already seen my future. I manifested it, but I’m also no fool. There is work to be done. Head down, maybe more silent than before, I’ll emerge as the butterfly. I always do.
