My wife and I have this debate going on. She says that my new messaging and mental state that life is struggle and I just need to get through it each day is too depressing and weary. As usual she is right.
I really do not mean to come across that all this commitment and focus on improvement is horribly hard or always requires embracing the suck. There are good days. Like this morning, my run was actually fun. I enjoyed the area that I ran in. The 16 miles I ran felt easy and I felt really good after I was done. I kept everything I set out to do today and I am closing the day on a nice productive and awesome day in which I feel like I left my mark on the world.
NOT!!!
Actually it totally sucked. I was sick for a few days and struggled through most of it. I decided to buckle down today and re-commit to go harder then ever before. It was brutal, and at one point this morning I almost quit. This evening, I am barely done with anything I wanted to do and I still have a mountain of things to do before I go to bed. This day will end like most of them do. Intense struggle, with inevitable failure at the end of the day because there is no way that I can do it all. Sorry, it completely sucked today and I am dragging across the finish line tonight.
So I am back at it again and eating live frogs in the morning (Mark Twain quote). I am going to get the really tough stuff done early and then drive hard until I fail. The question, however, is not “does it always suck?” the question is “is it worth it?” I think the answer is an absolute yes.
Now I totally get the desire to kick back and relax and enjoy life’s awesome moments. I am not saying those need to go away – what I have come to realize is those times mean a lot more when you have pushed yourself farther then you have ever done before. When you really put the effort in and you know that you tried your best – then those moments really count. Not sure if I am making sense or not. It is like the good times are more pronounced now because they have more meaning now. Not that they did not before, but I enjoy them more because in my heart I feel like I deserve them a little more.
When I put in a lazy half baked effort, and I knew it, then when the time came to relax or enjoy a moment with friends or family I would have a hard time being in the moment. However, now if I have already eaten a live frog that day – then you know what? That time I get to relax is so much sweeter.
When you have already ran 16 miles before 7am, the rest of the day just feels awesome by comparison. That is why I think embracing the suck is the right attitude. Just accept it is going to be hard. Improving yourself, stretching beyond your capability is going to make you uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. That is ok. You will overcome it. The thing you struggle with – do it. The thing you do not like – do it anyway. The weakness that you have – deliberately force yourself to make it a strength. You will get better over time. You will be stronger then you ever could imagine. That is an awesome feeling and when you do get done doing something that really sucked – the rest of the day you will realize that all the other things you have to do are easy by comparison.
So wake up tomorrow and Eat a Live Frog. Bon Appetit.
Guy Reams (443)
365 Alumni
70 Days Left to 1st Marathon
