This is Life

I was working out on my exercise bike today, and the instructor said something interesting that I had never considered. I was doing a timed ride through the Canary Islands virtually, of course, and as we were pushing to get to the top of a hill, we were all pedalling as hard as we could. I could see my heart rate pressing to its highest level. I could feel the pain in my chest as I was trying to breathe and keep up.

The instructor said, “Do you feel that pain”? This is life!

This is what it feels like to be alive. It is not the first time I have heard that. In a similar situation during a particularly difficult pilates session where my muscles were burning and shaking to hold the pose, my instructor said, this is life Stan, you can feel it!

What does this really mean? Are they saying we have to really feel life to be living? Does our day-to-day life not really count unless we feel something? Life isn’t just about the things we do; it’s about how those things make us feel. Our happiness, sadness, excitement, and even our worries make life real. Our feelings and the people we care about make life special.

Physical Challenges as Metaphors for Life

The idea that tough exercises are like life's challenges is really interesting. When we do something hard, like biking uphill or stretching in Pilates, it shows us that we can get through tough times. Just like in life, we keep trying, even when it’s not easy. These moments make us stronger in our bodies and our minds.

Overcoming Obstacles

Are we meant to overcome our obstacles? Should we avoid them? Should we try to go around them? What is the correct choice? If you want to truly live, you must push through them. It is the only way that we can learn and advance in life. This is not an easy feat; it can be so difficult to push through an obstacle. It’s so much easier to quit and give up.

Living outside your comfort zone means facing challenges, just like in exercise. When we step out of what feels easy, we grow and learn. Whether it's trying something new, facing fears, or working through a problem, pushing past what feels comfortable helps us get better. The more we practice being okay with hard things, the stronger and smarter we become in life.

The Journey of Growth

Physical fitness is not just about the end goal, whether losing weight, building muscle, or improving endurance. It’s about the journey – the gradual progression, the setbacks, and the comebacks. This mirrors life’s journey of growth. We evolve not just through our successes but through our struggles and failures. Each challenge we face and overcome contributes to our personal development, much like every workout makes us a bit stronger and more capable. Fit people may realize this connection. However, as an unfit individual who has spent the last ten years in a sedentary lifestyle, these sensations and realizations are new.

Mental Fortitude

Engaging in physical challenges is as much a mental exercise as a physical one. It demands mental fortitude and discipline to push through when your body wants to give up. And let me tell you… my body just wants to stop and give up.  This mental strength is vital in life, too. Whether it’s persevering through a difficult period at work or dealing with a personal crisis, the mental toughness we build in physical endeavours equips us to handle life’s psychological and emotional demands.

Taking on an Enormous Challenge

I have been following a group of people who are (as of the date posted) rowing across the Atlantic Ocean in a race organized by the World’s Toughest Row. This is a challenge that I have always wanted to do, not necessarily with these race organizers, but it is interesting to follow this race and all the races they do. I have many friends who have completed this event. Participants often say that although it is very physical, it also takes extreme mental fortitude not to throw in the towel when things get rough. And they will get rough.

Pushing

In both fitness and life, the comfort zone often signifies what? Settlement? Growth happens in states of discomfort. Pushing outside your limits. When you’re out of breath, climbing that virtual hill on your bike, you’re not just exercising your body; you’re teaching yourself to endure and find comfort in discomfort. Life, much like exercise, is not always about being at ease. It’s about embracing and growing through discomfort, whether taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone, or facing an unknown future.

The Reward of Endurance

Finally, the exhilaration and sense of accomplishment after completing a tough physical challenge are unparalleled. This feeling is similar to overcoming a significant life hurdle. It’s a reminder that the struggle, while often difficult and painful, is worth the reward. The satisfaction of overcoming a physical challenge can serve as a motivating reminder that life’s challenges, too, bring their rewards – in the form of personal growth, newfound confidence, and the joy of achievement.

Conclusion

The analogy of physical challenges representing life’s hurdles is powerful. It highlights our struggles and the strength, growth, and fulfillment we gain in overcoming them. The lessons learned in our physical endeavours are invaluable tools for navigating life’s complex, often challenging journey. I will examine this further as I prepare for my row in a few years. I am learning to push my boundaries.

It is the journey, not necessarily the destination.