Motivation

I just got done reading an article about "somking Joe" Frazier, and his rivalry with Muhammad Ali in the wake of Frazier's death yesterday. The article spoke a lot about how thier rivalry, and three famous bouts, were motivated by thier hate for each other. However, if you read other things and even watch the Ali movie with Will Smith, you find out it is not so much hate but mutual respect. Both are huge motivators.

My bluntness has been one of my best qualities. Some people also cannot handle it and I am okay with it. I go for absolute truth and see the world in black and white with limited shades of grey. When it comes to my own weight loss, something must change though. I have lost 70 lbs and am mere inches (less than 5 lbs) away from my goal weight. When most people lose a significant amount of weight they reward themselves with new clothes, however, my long torso makes me stay within the XXL range. So that "magic number" or new wardrobe cannot be my motivators.

Doing my best, perfecting my form, my ultimate goal of not being ashamed of taking my shirt off in public has still been my motivator. I know the cliche answer is my kids, and I think about them often, but they dont necessarily push me to go the 10 miles I did yesterday. I hope that they see in other areas of my life (because they are not around when I work out) the same tenacity, intensity, and lack of quit that I put into my workouts. I believe it is rubbing off on my parents. I havent necessarily seen much action being done but my two obese parents have started making somewhat better choices in the kitchen.

So what is your main motivator? I say main because we all have smaller motivators that are nice but supplement the big picture rather than become it. The medal supplements you running the race! Looking in the mirror and seeing a triple digit number at the end of the barbell plays second to the pride you feel after you rack your weights. I dont want to feel my heart pounding out of my chest, but I do want to feel pride in myself, that the Flash needs a head start! ha ha! Think to yourself about what motivates you, not just in the gym but at work and with your family and friends. Notice how, like I mentioned with my kids, the attitudes overlap!