“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a Warrior, and he will bring the others back.” ~Heraclitus
The way of the Warrior is not only about pushing yourself mentally, but physically too. There is a direct connection between your soul and body. As C.S. Lewis once said, “You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” And that’s all you truly have in this world. You may think you have a house, a car, a job, pets, even friends and family, but all of these things won’t necessarily be around until the end of your life. Some of them may even be gone tomorrow. Your body is the only constant from birth ’till death, and what you do with it plays a large part in your creativity, your productivity and your attitude.
Those who mistreat their bodies with lack of exercise and unhealthy eating are lying to themselves if they think they can get away with it. You’re lying to yourself if you think that you can push yourself mentally while taking shortcuts physically. Warriors are honest. They know the truth. They don’t lie to others, but more importantly, they don’t lie to themselves. They go into the gym knowing full well the importance of overcoming the challenge before them. How overcoming discomfort and physical difficulty makes you grow stronger not only in the gym, but when you’re dealing with an undisciplined, lazy, selfish and comfort-seeking person who makes the choice of unloading their frustrations on others. The Warrior felt their legs burning during that run or jog, or during that time on the Stairmaster, or during those squats, and persevered through it. The Warrior sees the undisciplined mind lashing out due to discomfort and remembers their own discomfort that was conquered. The Warrior keeps calm. Warriors see people throw fits from being pushed by challenges and remember constantly being pushed by weights. Warriors push back, and they understand that it takes focus, concentration and controlled, deliberate intensity over a sustained period of time to push back. They don’t snap back and bicker, because they’ve learned that doesn’t do you any good in the weight room.
And while so many fly off the handle or get stressed, Warriors choose to be calm, just as they choose the healthy food option when they’d much rather enjoy the unhealthy choice. Everything’s connected. The amount that you push yourself physically with exercise and how much you push against cravings is directly connected to how hard you’ll push yourself to excel at your job, to make the extra effort to start and finish that creative project you were thinking of doing, and how much you’ll expect of yourself when things don’t go as planned.
You As A Machine is a Warrior. We hear so many women talk about all of the weight they gained after having kids, and not being able to lose it. We hear so many talk about how as they grow older, the weight starts to pile on and won’t come off. As a 40 year old mother of two, You As A Machine is a reminder of the potential that we all have within us if we push ourselves. Here’s what a 40 year old mother of two achieved when she refused to lie to herself and chose to follow that innate truth we all have within us:
She’s an inspiration to everyone who ever listened to their own excuses as to why they’re not in the best shape they can be in, and an encouraging reminder to all those that listen and follow their own truth. True, some of us have rips, tears, breaks and other physical issues that will keep us from having washboard abs and bulging muscles, but the point isn’t to rise up to the level of other people’s potential, it’s to rise up to your own level. I know all about that, having suffered a permanent shoulder injury years ago. Despite the constant pain and weakness, I’m still in better physical shape than a vast majority of people I encounter every day that have no injuries or health issues. It’s because I push myself to my own limits and realize my own potential. I could be overweight and use the excuse of “I’m hurt” and nobody would fault me for it. But I’d be lying to myself. Just as You As A Machine could use her age and the fact that she’s had two kids as excuses to be overweight, but she doesn’t lie to herself either. She not only pushes and reaches her limits everyday, but serves others by giving advice and guidance on how they too can fulfill their own potential. She’s 1-in-100, and we are lucky to have her: http://youasamachine.com/
Guidelines for the 1-in-100 Warrior Award: To acknowledge and honor the rarity of the Warrior, it is recommended that the recipient passes this award on to only *one* other blogger that they feel goes above and beyond to serve and inspire others, and who maintains their grace and positivity even in the face of difficult challenges, such as health issues, tragedy, injustice or loss.
Once an author is given the award, they may continue nominating one new blog author once a week, month, year… or whatever seems appropriate. It’s like a knight’s ability to bestow knighthood onto another whenever they choose. But only one at a time. The patience of a Warrior is required.
