The choices we face (and why they matter)

"Everything we do in here, is to make everything we do out there better." - Coach Craig Hysell

If you've ever been to a CFHH event, or you've visited for a week perhaps, and certainly if you're a member, then you've heard that quote from Coach Craig. The quote itself is great; it's simple, more importantly it's honest, you can hear that in his voice when he says it. If you've heard it before, it makes you think for a moment about what it means, and hopefully motivates you. I suppose that depending upon your individual vantage point, the weight of it can vary. Below is my interpretation. After hearing an athlete talk about a workout they just completed and it being much tougher to finish than they anticipated (a regular happenstance with Coach Craig at the helm), it all tied together, in my mind.

Life is a series of events, some events take us to the heights of happiness and joy. Those moments are defining, they are the bullet points that we carry with us and reflect back to when life becomes challenging. Some events are tough and they can wedge doubt into our minds. The tough moments test us, they see how far we can flex before we break. These moments can be equally or even more defining. These moments check your integrity, your will, your desire, your drive, and your capacity. These moments will check you so brutally hard that they can shake you to your core. This is life. Life is not always rainbows, sunny days, cold drinks, and family. Although sometimes, we can link together a few of life's best moments, ultimately and without relenting, life will test you over and over in an attempt to break you.

"What we do in here, is to make everything we do out there better." - Coach Craig

Craig takes us to our limits, if we allow it. Both physically and mentally. We see something on paper (a workout) and we feel that it will be easy or at least doable. We get six rounds into a ten round workout and we get to the point where doubt starts taking over. "This was the wrong weight", "there's no way I can do four more rounds", "my lungs are on fire", "I just want to set the weight down", "take a break", "I'm not going to complete this in time", "take another break". On and on, the thoughts run through our minds, and we are faced with a choice, in that moment, to either ignore them while we push forward, or to succomb to them. This is life. In this workout, like life, you are on a one lane road. You choose to continue forward in the direction you chose initially, or you make a u-turn and you head back in the other direction.
In each workout, there's a chance to test your integrity, your will, your desire, your drive, and your capacity. There is a chance to define yourself. This is life; now the choice is yours.