Feel like complaining today? DON’T! This blog post is going to be quite the contradiction while I complain about those who are negative and complain, just hear me out.
Negativity is inevitable in our day to day lives, you’ll hear or see it everywhere you look in social media, the news, at work, at home. How do you overcome the negativity that slowly brews and spreads like wildfire? Think before you speak, or post, or comment on anything at all. I saw a quote recently that said; “If the words you spoke appeared on your skin, would you still be beautiful?”.
Now I’m not saying that we are a gym full of complainers but there are days where it’s a fine line between positivity and negativity. “ We’re doing a 5K run, I hate running!” or “I really don't want to do wall balls”. Not everyday has to be sunshine and rainbows but we can make damn sure we try! I had a class recently that during the 60 minutes of pure sweat and agony, not one person complained. Not one word was negative. It was honestly the best hour of my day. Why would one class be better than the other? No complaining. No negativity. Negativity in the form of complaining can sabotage someones day. It’s amazing how quickly a person can be affected by negativity...you don’t want to be the reason someone has a bad day.
The power of positivity and gratitude far outweighs all forms of negativity. “Research shows that when we count three blessings a day, we get a measurable boost in happiness that uplifts and energizes us. If you focus on gratitude, you can’t be negative.” Focus on the things you have the power to change and let go of the things that are beyond your control. It’s ok to have an "off" day here and there, it’s ok to not like burpees. Not everyone can be the Rich Froning’s of the world and PR every day. I’d challenge you to think before you speak. One negative comment may alter the way an athlete approaches a workout and i'm sure you've heard it at least once before; “but if she doesn’t like to run then I should probably row too”.
Now take this thought from Ben Bergeron (who may have gotten it from someone else) into perspective; “Get To vs. Have To”. He explains his perspective on the three keys to happiness, one of which includes this idea of get to’s and have to’s. "Have to” frames things in a way that says we’re obligated or required to do things which can be perceived as negative in most circumstances. “Get To” frames it more from a sense of gratitude and appreciation and is perceived as positive. “I have to go workout today” is a lot more negative than “I GET to workout today”. There’s not a whole lot in life that we have to do, there are however, a lot of things in life we get to do. This is something I often think about when I'm running. When I start to feel like I need to walk or even stop, I think of all the people out there that physically cannot run and what they'd do to be in my shoes. It's greatly changed my approach to workouts and life in general.
Have an open mindset when you walk through our doors, but most importantly, leave the negativity/complaining outside. We’re here to make this the best part of your day, everyday.
All in good health,
Coach Jess
