P90X: "Be Realistic" Day 20 of 90

Nothing in this world is perfect.

While we know this, far too often we let the “lack of a perfect solution” become the main obstacle to our success.  If you are ever going to get to the next level of success, there are going to be things that will get in your way.  You have to start your journey to achievement of any endeavor with the idea that you know things are coming your way; you are watching out for them; you will plan for them; and you will beat them.  Don’t start by expectation the road to be paved with daisies and lilacs.  If that were the case, everyone would be successful at everything…and we all know that true achievement comes with a price.  You have to be willing to pay it.

Right now, I am doing the P90X workout plan.  It is extreme.  I knew that going in.  The oldest guy on the DVD’s is Tony Horton, who at the time was a 45 year old freak of nature.  He is the result of 30 years of body conditioning.  I am 50.  So I know, there will be things that don’t quite go well.  I have to warm up very vigorously.  I have to make sure I stretch.  I have to pay close attention to my body because tears and rips are going to be far less forgiving at 50.  It will take me longer to heal.

That said, there are going to be moments when giving up might seem like the thing to do.  Don’t.

Last week I felt a pop in my shoulder.  I avoided that particular exercise this week and substituted something else.  I worried each time I did a new routine each day following the pop.  It went okay.  I didn’t take a day off, I just kept going.  You don’t have to kill a whole routine to heal.  You do what you can and don’t aggravate something that is still healing.  Last night was great because I feel like many other pullup exercises went way better than last week.  Some things healed up very well.

Then last night, I had a pull in my hip while I was doing lunges.  I backed off immediately and walked it around.  It was like the shoulder.  90% of the motion was possible with the hip, just one motion wasn’t.  So I was more careful with that movement.  I know that in the next few days, it will heal.  Probably stronger.  Take this away from the point though…I didn’t stop.

I have a favorite Al Pacino movie quote from the football movie “Any Given Sunday.”  I am taking this from memory as I write this but it goes something like this…”When you get old, things get taken from you.  That’s life.  But YOU have to decide if you are going to lay down, and get the $h!t kicked out of you, or if you are going to fight your way back.”

I choose the latter.  I think that anything in this life worth having requires work.

 Work on Kempo X tonight!