Be the Athlete you Claim to Be
One thing that pisses me off as a coach, is clients who say they want to compete, yet when getting ready for a contest piss and moan about the way they feel, how hard the diet is, how they hate performing a particular exercise, or any other thing they perceive as uncomfortable. As the saying goes, “Circumstances don’t make the man; they simply reveal him to himself.”
As human beings living our lives, there are many things we don’t have control over, e.g., the economy, physical traits, and some diseases. However, we all have control of how we approach life’s experiences, e.g., goals and hurdles, which is our mindset or attitude. Having the right mindset is imperative to achieving any goal. A mindset is like a light; it’s either on or off. One either has it or they don’t. However, those who have not acquired the right mindset through their life can develop and improve it. But first one has to realize their mindset sucks, which can be a problem.
Many of today’s competitors believe they are highly motivated and driven, or switched on. If you don’t believe me, just peruse people’s facebook pages that refer to themselves as athletes. You see these so-called athletes referring to themselves as being driven, self motivated, or pushing beyond their limits while pouring out their souls about how hard their diets are, what they’re eating, how much they’re sacrificing, how much cardio their doing, how long their training session was, or how painful it all is. Blah blah F-in blah.
An athlete who is truly switched on, will never complain about what they have to do, e.g., training and dieting, let alone write about it on facebook. Anyone who does this is an immature attention seeker that should be ashamed of themselves. I recommend these weak pussies go to a pediatric cancer unit, burn unit, or talk to soldiers who’ve lost limbs in battle. Once you’ve done this, hopefully you’d see how ridiculous it is to complain about a self imposed contest preparation.
Switched on athletes accept what is necessary as part of their journey toward a goal. Not only do they intuitively understand that with great reward comes suffering, it’s wholeheartedly welcomed. It is the journey that makes achieving a goal so gratifying. It is the journey that separates the great from the average. Striving, self discovery, and learning are responsible for the magnetism and elation, which is simply nonexistent without the effort of [doing]. An athlete enjoys the path they’re taking, and acquires an education that can only be gotten through pushing through to where they’ve never been.
If you find yourself complaining and writing about what a struggle a self imposed contest preparation is on facebook as though you deserve a medal, do us all a favor; be like the athlete you claim to be, or quit.
