"In order to succeed, your desire for success must be greater than your fear of failure"- Bill Cosby (thanks Coach Tim for this one)
For those of you reading for the first time or evaluating CrossFit Salvation or any other CrossFit affiliate, let me just say this. This article while directed at our athletes whom are already attending classes and the gym is for you as well. It is for you to recognize that no matter what skill level we have as people, we all have our challenges. We all have moments of growth, moments of challenge. It is these challenging times we MUST not allow words into our vocabulary that continue to hinder us from going in a forward direction. This article may hurt a little, may make you take a look in the mirror but that may be exactly what you need in order to get to your local CrossFit Affiliate.
'I can't becomes a condition we tell ourselves, a belief, a limiting thought. Stop telling yourself you can't and be prepared for possibilities"- Coach K
Opens are over now and we are back to our normal training regimens at most affiliates. Those whom are moving on to regionals, are training hard every day and working their programs into oblivion, getting results, recovering, spending time on nutrition and getting themselves better each moment. The rest of us we are into the mode of training and doing what we know to be the greatest thing ever, pushing ourselves to our limits.. or are we?
I say this with this story in mind. I was coaching a group of athletes the other day on probably one of the biggest fears in the gym- box jumps (wouldn't you agree that most people freeze when they get to box jumps at that one height when their mind goes into shut down??) Box jumps happen to be one of the biggest barriers I have seen where they mentally fuck themselves right away. So each person within the group, whom I told they could achieve this heaight (30") attempted... and ALL of them made it.. at some point. BUT the way they made it was amazing.
Each person walked up to the box, took a step, loooked at the box, turned away, attempted to start jumping, but then stopped themselves mid jump (because they THOUGHT they couldn't make it) and then after coaxing, each one began to succeed on top of the box.. WITH EASE. Here's the great part. As a coach, I am used to hearing people whine and complain. Whether I pay attention to it or not... ok, well i never do, so in this particular moment, one of the athletes walked up, looked at the box and shook her head... " I can't" it was at this point that I looked at her (now bear in mind she is probably on 4'2" (not really but the box did look pretty big on her) and I said "Get the fuck up there, just pick your feet up and go!!" - So she did. Here's the best part about it.. SHE MISSED!!!! My look of less than slight concern was masked only by the words "shake it off and get up there!"
"I can't"
"Are you f-ing kidding me, you missed by an inch.. get your ass up there! "
"But......"
" I don't care... get up there!"
so she stood back next to the box, shin scraped and pride shattered... and she stood there looking at the box... "You Can Do this.. let's go"
So with a different look, not one of fear, not one you know as the look of "I Can't" , but with determination, and focus... and she landed it with EASE!!! YES... After falling the first time, we NEEDED to curb the I Can't attitude in the face as soon as it started to get there for her again, ... We NEEDED to STOP her from listening to the voices and fears
You see, the I can't Sir.... is the challenge we run into in not only box jumps, but in EVERY thing in life. We are limited not by what our bodies or capabilities are, but truly only by what our mind perceives we are able to do. We MUST be able to maximize our abilities. If we tell ourselves that we can not, then we will not. You are what you believe you are. I have used this example with several athletes lately when it comes to strength workouts. If you tell yourself you are getting weaker, what does your body do? It gets weaker. This is why, I can't becomes a condition, a belief, and a limitation.
I Can't is not a feasibility if you just allow yourself to BELIEVE in yourself. You see... maybe approach it as one of my athletes does "I am unable to at this moment" HOWEVER even within that you MUST be careful in how you approach it. You MUST take caution of even the ATTITUDE in which you say it. For if you TRULY believe you can, then you will. HOWEVER if you tell yourself, you can and don't BELIEVE it, then you will continue to face the same challenge. Every moment, every time we make a decision, every time we go after a goal and it gets difficult, do you stand up and say I WILL, or do you back down and say " I Can't Sir". Do you allow the negativity to seep into your soul or do you look at the challenge with ferocity, tenacity and a complete desire to conquer? Do you allow that to DRIVE the "Can'tsir" away? Do you allow it to take control of you so you have NO IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENED and HOW YOU GOT there and know that YOU JUST DID???
So many of us in life struggle with challenges every day. We try and try and continue to say I Can't.. the reason i call it the "I Can'tSir" is because it is what affects our whole entire being much like a cancer.. It seeps into every cell, every ounce and thread of your being and affects each nerve, each muscle fiber, each mitochondria. It is cancerous because much like cancer cells, MISERY LOVES COMPANY, so we look for sympathy and hope there is someone who will say the same thing. We hope someone will pay attention and feel sorry for us.. "Can'tSir" is a Cancer. (Have you seen the studies on how much mentality plays a role on the remission of cancer????? Hmmm... coincidence?? I think NOT)
Moments in which you feel you can't go on or you are challenged, stop yourself, turn around, and allow yourself to lean on the belief of those who coach and mentor you. You want to know the reason the CrossFit Community is so stinking successful as a community? BECAUSE WE BELIEVE WE CAN and we don't give a SHIT what anyone else says. If it can be accomplished, we will give it a shot. So many people in life beat you down, tear you up and want you to NOT succeed... we are here to tell you.. YOU CAN. YOU WILL, YOU ARE.
For those of you involved in ANY Fitness Program, do yourself a favor and stop telling yourself how hard it will be, or that you CAN'T lift that weight, or it will be difficult because it is 4 in the morning and I need to get my workout done. WHO CARES? Really? when you FINALLY figure out that YOU are the ONLY THING stopping you from getting what you want, then the "Cant'sir" goes away!! period.. and now it becomes deeper than .. as Coach Tim Lester forwarded to me earlier.. your desire become greater than your fear! IN ANYTHING!!! Channel it, use it, make it propel you forward. Stop listening to those who negate the power you have in you. Stop allowing fear to fill your soul. We know not fear, we know not failure, we know not can't....
For those of you who HAVEN'T Checked out a CrossFit affiliate yet because of your excuses.. and yes, let me tell you, they ARE excuses.. It's time to stop saying I Can't do CrossFit or i have to be in shape in order to do CrossFit. If you are saying I can't do CrossFit or it intimidates me, it's time to stop saying I can't and get to an affiliate and get your ass in gear. What are you waiting for? All We can do is get our hands on you once you're here. We can't help you until then. And in reality.. does it have to be a CrossFit affiliate? We want it to be of course!!! But here's the reality of the situation, stop saying I can't cook, I Can't work out, I don't have time... and start telling yourself the reality.. it's a choice.. Make THE choice to stop saying I can't and get yourself moving... period. no matter what.
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