We all have our thoughts of what strength is and means. In reality, it is many things. The most common
definition, from Webster is, “the quality or state of being strong: capacity
for exertion or endurance”. In CrossFit,
strength may be the physical type, the ability to lift heavy things. It may also be the mental type, the ability
to push through a particularly difficult WOD.
It may also be the emotional type, the ability to emotionally cope with
another athlete beating you in a competition. I have felt these kinds
strength. I have lifted very heavy
things, I have pushed through difficult WODS, and I have felt competitive
loss. Managing the emotions that come
from these things requires strength.
I have been praying each day for strength in body, mind and
spirit. But what exactly does this mean?
It is similar, but also different from the strength required and developed
through CrossFit. It contains the
mental and physical elements, to push through, to drive forward; to live each
day to it’s fullest under my current circumstances, and to work on getting
physically and mentally stronger each day.
It is the emotional element, however, that is slightly different.
Emotional strength is also the ability to be able to accept
my mind and body for where they are right now. It is to be forgiving to myself when I look a
little soft in the mirror, when my clothes don’t fit the way they use to, when
my brain training scores decline, when I stumble, when I can’t remember what I
went into the kitchen for, or when I need to ask for help. It is also to be
able to be satisfied with scaling my WODs, or getting my first DNF, or knowing
that, in CrossFit I may never be where I was.
Strength in spirit is being able to put my faith and trust
in God, and through prayer and worship I will receive what I need, maybe not
what I want, but what I need, in all other areas.
As I have been exploring strength, I have also discovered
that strength is also having the ability to say no even though you really want
to say yes or on the contrary, saying yes even though you really want to say no. It is also being able to forgive, even if you
will never forget. Forgiveness requires a great deal of strength.
Strength is the ability to do all of these things. So each day I pray for strength in body mind
and spirit, and each day I try to get stronger.
In closing, I started to think further… What would you add to this list?
- It is being able to go into the box knowing you cannot do the WOD and being content with scaling all elements of it.
- The ability to order something that you really don’t want to have because you should not order anything else on the menu.
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