You Are Not Alone

We often post the words of wisdom and wit on Instagram and Facebook provided to us by Modig Fitness member Eleanor Brown’s book “WOD Motivation.” They make us laugh, encourage us and speak a little bit of truth into our daily CrossFit experience. The following is yet another from her book, but it was deserving of a spot on the Modig website as well. Enjoy the read and get after it today Modiggers!

In the midst of a WOD, it can feel like you’re all alone. Community takes a back seat when the clock beeps and the coach shouts, “GO!” Everyone focuses on themselves and what they’re trying to get done.

And that’s not a bad thing. People have their own goals each day. Some are trying to set PR’s, some are just trying not to pass out. Whatever it is, you have to crawl inside your own mind, pay attention to your body, and do what it takes to make it through.

Its easy to think – when you’re working so hard, when the sweat is pouring off you in sheets, when your breath is coming shallow and rough and your muscles are whispering to you how nice and how comfortable it would be for you to take a break, or maybe to stop altogether, it’s easy to think that no one else is feeling the same way. From the outside, it seems no one else is finding this as hard as you are, no one else is struggling to keep going, no one else is gasping for breath. In fact, everyone else is making it look easy. They’re swinging through their kipping pull-ups, they’re rowing with long, easy strokes, they’re finishing their sit-ups in unbroken sets. When you are struggling, watching someone else can be discouraging. It can make you feel like you are the only one for whom this is difficult.

Here is the truth. No matter how easy they make it look, everyone around you is struggling. Their struggles may be different than yours, but they exist. They’re struggling with their form or their cardiovascular endurances, or the voice in their head that tells them they can’t do it. They’re recuperating from an injury, recovering from a bad night’s sleep, or trying to forget about their problems at work.

From the outside, you cannot tell what is going on in someone’s workout, or their head, or their life. But one thing is certain – nothing is what it seems. The person with the perfect body you covet may be filled with insecurities and problems. The weakest and slowest member of the gym may have an inner strength worthy of envy. The only thing that is guaranteed is that everyone is working through something. You are not the only one. Don’t spend your time wondering why is looks so much easier for someone else. It’s not easy for them. It’s not easy for anyone. You are not alone.