The big picture

Where do you fit in the "big picture"?

In the confines of the gym, we can place ourselves (perceived or real) in a form of "pecking order" depending on the parameters - belt rank, skill, ability, knowledge, fitness, cooperation, etc. Aside from the "off days" we spend the majority of our time in a "on day" zone.

What drives us to have a need to know where we stand on this totem pole? By knowing our position does it make us more "qualified" or "experience" to discuss or demonstrate certain principles, skills or concepts? Or are we harboring thoughts on our personal limits, boundaries or marking our comfort zone?

The more steps we take out and away from the gym where do you stand? In a relationship with a loved one? At work? In a family dynamic? In the street with unknown people?

How do you define "YOU" ?

How are you defined? By what you can or cannot DO? KNOW? SPEAK? THINK? BELIEVE? POSSESS? If you had to describe yourself in a single word what would that be? Would that be the same as others describe you?

What is the purpose of all the practice we do? What do you mean by "BETTER"? Healthier? Fitter? Happier? Stronger? Pain free?

What are the desired goals for the practices we invest time, money and effort in?

How do we know that by doing what we do that we are positively contributing to the betterment of the people around you, have relationships with you or are impacted by you?

As we spend our daily lives watching, reading, interacting with events, people and things that interest us, how are we contributing to those same events, people and things in a positive, productive way?

I have often read the old cliche that "if you're not part of the solution then you're part of the problem". How do you know which side you're on? The solution for conformity? For individuality. Totally selfishness or total selflessness? For sure both sides will be working towards "their solution", I just need to know which one.

At the end of the day, the "big picture" view, the "forest and not the tree-view", what is the purpose of what we do?

My take; I'm doing what I do because I believe that I'm positively helping everyday people to learn and become healthier, stronger and independently expressive individuals by providing information and options.

It seems like in today's culture, health is an option. You choose to be healthy. You choose to be unhealthy. You choose to be fit. You choose to be a slob. You can choose the physically harder and more challenging way or the easier way by staying in your comfort zone. Everything is a choice and is a reflection of our mental health and well being. Having clarity of thought makes life a lot easier and clouding it with substances, legal or otherwise is not a smart thing to do.

The impact and message you send with your actions, in-action, abilities or lack of, knowledge or dearth of resounds and ripples across the waves of people you are in contact with.

For example, you bump into someone whom you haven't seen in a few months or years and they remark how "fit and healthy" you physically appear. They may head off after that and talk about you with another mutual friend. That person may be thinking to themselves about how they should also get in shape, eat healthier, finally quit smoking this year or get back into the gym.

People whom you meet regularly may remark on their observations of your current condition in comparison with their past experiences with you that you have "become" stronger, slimmer, fitter, more skilled, etc.

It all starts with a goal and your "big picture" but strangely the big picture is best digested in much smaller, mouth-sized bites, starting with the internal messages and drives; what I want to do and achieve, where I picture myself in 3, 5 and -10 years in the future. These goals give me the drive and desire to seek higher levels of achievement (in my scale) and they may not necessarily be timely (being on time is always good) but as long as the journey is enjoyable, let the good times ride.

I'm hoping with this post that I get to inspire this blog's visitors, and get you to question and think about these things even for a moment or two and to revive that spark that attracted you to the gym in the first place.