Redefine Yourself

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE April 16, 2010

A few weeks ago, I found myself at an impromptu jam session with a self-taught pianist and a group of happy-to-listen-friends.  (Did y’all know I sing?  Well now you know.)  So these friends called me out to sing along in an improvisational manner with this improvisational piano player.

My response?  “Yikes.”

Whaddaya mean, they cried!  You’re a singer!  Make it up!

Yeah-but-yeah-but-yeah-but, I mumbled… and the moment passed.

I define myself as a performer, as a writer, an athlete, a daughter, a wife, a sister, a funny person, a good listener, and so on.  I was challenged to be a stream-of-consciousness singer, and passed on it.  This is going to sound silly, but I haven’t practiced improvising.  I have practiced stream-of-consciousness writing, so I’d be more comfortable stepping up to that call to action.  With that circumstance still on my mind, you can bet that I’ll be pushing myself and drilling my vocal improv exercises.

What on earth does this have to do with fitness, you ask?

I see a parallel between what I ask my clients to do every day, and what my friends were asking me to do.

I dare people every day to be stronger, or more enduring, or more balanced, than they think they are.  I believe in the progressive steps to get to where you are indeed stronger and more capable and more athletic than you ever thought you could be.  They work!  And many times just hearing that, “Yes You Can!” encouragement makes all the difference!

I believe there is an athlete in every one of us, we just find uniquely individual expressions of what an athlete is from one person to another.  When you develop that athlete within you, you feel a sense of physical power and prowess that informs your mental, emotional, and spiritual abilities in a very positive way.  Spillover, you could call it.

So I’m going to take a dose of my own medicine and try to get better at that which I feel unsure of.
What are you going to do to redefine yourself and get better?  Because yes, you can!  Look forward to your feedback.