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My Journey to the Gym

I am glued to the TV zapping between two channels watching both the Colbert Report and the Cosby Show. I am also trying to finish some work from last night (talk about multitasking). To my great surprise, as I flip back to the Cosby Show, guess who I see? Myriam Makeba, the late great singer from South Africa. She was playing herself on the Cosby Show. Needless to say the Colbert Report had to wait (good thing I was able to catch the same episode last night).

Of course I am a big Myriam Makeba fan (and so seem to be all the people on the Cosby Show). She started to tell them how beautiful the continent of Africa is. She described Africa in such a poetic way that made me a little teary. Oh how she made me miss home! All I could think of was “why did I leave my country?”

In my eight years in Canada, there has been a few times where I wanted to pack and go back home for good. Funny enough, those moments hit me when I don’t seem to see any results in what I am doing. Chasing the American dream can sometimes be heart-breaking, especially when you want it so bad. Whenever that happens, all I have to do to get back to my senses is go to the gym and play basketball. That’s exactly what I did yesterday.

Talking about going to the gym, my getting back in shape thread I started a while ago is almost at its full swing although I didn’t make it to the gym or to my basketball games for a whole week after my trip to New York. I went back to the gym on Monday. I was so excited to go back, but sad to learn that my gym is closing for three long months for renovations. That’s not right. I only have three weeks before they close. Does that mean I am putting a hold to my dream of converting this one pack into a six pack? (I am aiming to be like “The Situation” lol).

The only thing I did at the gym on Monday was running on a treadmill. I kept adding resistance until it was almost impossible for me to run anymore. Sweat was dripping off my entire body like crazy. And then when I took a break, a thought came to my mind. Do you mean all I need to do to get back in shape quickly is more resistance to my treadmill and lift heavier weight? If that is so, then resistance is a good thing. Resistance is a sure sign that I am on the right track. What a relief! Before this I had been battling for a week as I experienced set back after set back in everything I was doing. Isn’t that funny? Resistance became my best friend since then.

If you ask anyone who made it big, all of them will tell you they made it while facing major resistance, some of them risking their lives. Einstein said that we can’t solve any problems with the same mind that got us into them (I am just paraphrasing). Change is never easy. We have to get outside of our comfort zone if we want to make it. It is easier said than done, but it sure was a huge relief for me when I remembered it. We can get inspired anywhere, including at the gym.

So my dear friend (yes I am talking to you), if it seems to you that you are not getting ahead in what you are doing, if it looks like it is so hard for you, you should be excited because the same situation that is driving you crazy is the one thing you need to be strong. So face it with joy because it is a good thing. Embrace it.

Moral of the story? Are you facing some resistance right now? Just catch your favorite TV show and you will see a superstar. It may be me.


Always a pleasure

Patrick
The Journeyman
pbizindavyi6@gmail.com

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