I want to talk about BALANCE. And no, I’m not talking about Yoga and Core Synergistics exercises! I’m talking about balance in your life.
As much as I like to focus on the workouts and nutrition (and I should since I’m your coach), it’s important to note that there is more to life than exercise and nutrition!
Have any of you heard the Tag commercial featuring Maria Sharipova from this Christmas season? What are your thoughts about it? In case you haven’t heard it, it goes something like this:
“I’m Maria Sharapova. I left my country and my mom by age 7. By age 9 I was spending over 6 hours per day practicing tennis. I spent 3 years living out of a suitcase and playing in tournaments in the middle of nowhere. I became the youngest … and only Russian … to win Wimbledon. And I wear Tag timepieces.”
I don’t want to take anything away from her accomplishments on the tennis court, but as I listen to her story, I feel sorry for her. Is this what I would want for my daughters? Is a sports goal worth leaving your mom before age 7? Is it worth spending 6 hours a day training as a 9 year old? These are all questions we each have to answer for ourselves, but I see it as more of a tragedy than a success story. And I’m sure not any more inclined to buy a Tag watch after listening to that ad! Not that I’d drop that much on a watch anyway LOL!
But it begs the question — How much are we willing to sacrifice for our fitness? While it’s important, it’s not the ONLY thing.
I believe it’s wrong to make excuses for why we don’t take care of our health, but it’s equally wrong to let our health become the most important thing in our life. The key is BALANCE!!
I encourage all of you to take frequent inventory of how you are spending your time and money, and evaluate whether or not that lines up with what you say is important to you. And if you have kids, the easiest way to check that inventory is to ask your kids, “What do you think is important to me?”. Their answers may surprise you! Because they see past what you say to what you DO! Does it make you nervous to think about what they might say!
My inventory says that I value my walk with Christ, my wife, my kids, and yes, my fitness! So, does how I invest my time reflect that? Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I admit that I can be very focused (okay, obsessive!). And if I’m obsessing about my workouts (which happens sometimes!) my quiet time can get pushed back, or I may not focus as much attention on my wife and kids. This is OUT OF BALANCE! And I need to be reminded to re-center myself. It’s like trying to do the crane from that aweful Yoga X workout (LOL!) You have to have everything in focus and be perfectly balanced or you’ll take a fall.
It doesn’t matter if I become the next Tony Horton, if I sacrifice my relationship with my family or my Maker to get there. That’s not success. That’s tragic!
I hope that this doesn’t give you a “cop-out” to avoid your workouts. But rather, I hope you continue to push as hard on your workouts as you already are, but that you push equally hard on developing your relationships and the other important areas of your life.
I am blessed to have all of you as a part of our teamRIPPED family! Keep Bringing it!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
