What's your health worth?

What's your health worth to you? Seems like a simple question, but few answer that question with a lot of thought. A simple answer is, "I want to be healthier." I would assume that most people want to be heathier, but then they turn around and have a pizza and regular soda for dinner.

Some more well thought out answers would be...

"My health is worth watching my children grow up."

"My health is worth leading a functional life now and when I am older."

"My health is worth being able to enjoy the physical aspects of life."

"My health is worth not having to take additional daily medications."

The short answer isn't specific. There isn't one thing that can be singled out and then drawn on as a negative if they don't choose to be healthy, at least not in relation to their life because we don't know what drives them.

In the last four answers, there is a constant reminder of not being able to see your children grow up, having to rely on others to do daily tasks and to get around, not being able to enjoy activities, or having to take medications. The last four answers give you a driving point a specific reason for working out and following proper nutrition.

The deeper you dig for an answer the more you find, the more you have to work toward, and the more reason you have to succeed. Generally speaking one thing always leads to another. Usually the first reason is more vague and the later reasons become more specific.

Learning, a lot!

I never consider that I know everything, I know that I don't. I might believe that I know at least a little more than most, but everything, no.

The thing that irritates me more than anything, even more than not lifting heavy weights, is the person who thinks they know more than I do. Everyone has their own little bubble of knowledge and we tend to excell in those things we are best at, but you can't be the best at everything.

I know that I'm not a stock market guru or an international language god, but I never pretend that I am. Sure I know a little bit about this, and a little bit about that, and a lot about a few things, I'm sure you do too, but they aren't the same things. I'll let you do what you do best, let me do what I do best.

Learning is a constant, and the second you step outside of it, and think you know it all, you've just lost it. Encourage knowledge, pass on what you know, but don't be a fool and avoid what others have to offer.

Expectations...

Have you ever looked back on your life to see if you can figure out why you are where you are? I don't know that most people give it a second thought, but for me it's a constant reminder. Of making things work, and working hard to make sure it gets done. Has it always been destined for me to end up where I am, or is it more like those children's stories where you can choose a different path, and the story has different endings depending on the path you chose? I don't have the answer exactly, but I'm leaning towards being able to choose your own path. Mostly because we all should encounter choices throughout our life, even the smallest ones can make the biggest difference.

The world is full of options and choices, from which we've all made bad decisions as well as ones that have fulfilled various stages of our lives with reason and desire. Each one leads us into the next chapter of our own lives, and adds to who we are, and why we do what we do.

If we choose the path that represents security, where the outcome is almost a guarantee, have we really attempted to make a change, to do something different, to step outside of our comfort zone? Not likely. It's almost as if you're letting your life be chosen for you. So why not chose your own path and ultimately your desired life?

We all have the ability to make the most of our lives, and really no one can or should stand in your way. If you've chosen the path less obvious, you've chosen to challenge yourself.

Why do what others expect of us, when we can expect ourselves to do amazing things?

Manual Labor

As soon as I resigned myself to the fact that I'd be taking the day off, my Dad starts chiseling away at the brick in their basement, where the old coal stove used to be. After a few bricks, he said it was taking too long, so he was off to rent some power tool that would make the job easier. I should have let it go at that, I would have been driving home before he even got back, but instead I headed downstairs and started chiseling away.

It certainly wasn't an easy task, but one that not only required physical stength endurance but also a little bit of thinking. I watched the breaks in the cement start to form, noticed pockets of air that made some of the demolition easier, and strategically chose break lines that removed several bricks at time. All in all it was about 400lbs of brick. Still have some fatigue in my right hand, but by the time we were done breaking the bricks, and hauling them out of the house, and up to the barn, I had worked for a little over an hour, and was glad to be able to help, and get in an unexpected workout.

Back To Pressing Heavy

When you focus on strength training you get strong. When you focus on conditioning you have endurance. It's hard to do both.

Soon after I was pressing the 28kg kettlebell, I switched my focus to conditioning type workouts. Not to say that I had become weak by any means, but I started having difficulty with pressing the 20-24kg kettlebell, boo! This was (and sometimes still is) a struggle for me. It seemed simple enough that I should be able to spread my focus in two directions.

Focus, however needs focus. It's similar to completing a task. If you get in your car to go to the grocery store and end up stopping off for a cup of coffee on the way, which is right next door to the car wash, which reminds you that you need an oil change, two hours later you have no time left to go to the grocery store.

Although I am still strong, it's been a struggle for me to be my strongest and still have what I consider to be decent conditioning. We're about ready to see if I can do it. The next 15 weeks of my training is already planned out. I'll be reporting back on it's progress often, I'm sure with successes and frustrations.