Strength

Remember those posts I did on fitness for life? Blast from the past right? Anyway, now seemed like a pretty good time to write another one.

♥ Stamina ( <<click there to see the first one!)
♥ Speed  ( <<ooh, and the second!)
♥ Strength
♥ Skill
♥ Suppleness

At the moment, for reasons I don't particularly want to broadcast to the word wide web, my strength is seriously being tested. Its shit. But let us not wallow in self pity, lets try and learn something from this. I'm typing this through gritted teeth as it were, because quite frankly, I don't feel like being calm and introspective, I feel like kicking something. But I did that yesterday and bruised my foot - lesson 1, temper tantrums will not help. Grow the hell up.

So what do those with a bit more wisdom than me say?

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

- Mahatma Gandhi

What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.

 - Freidrich Nietzsche

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.  
- Eleanor Roosevelt

People do not lack strength; they lack will.
 - Victor Hugo

As we advance in life it becomes more and more difficult, but in fighting the difficulties the inmost strength of the heart is developed.
- Vincent Van Gogh

Sounds pretty doesn't it? We all know its a lot easier said than done. I had a conversation the other day  with someone I have a lot of respect for, about the fact that life is sometimes an utter bitch, and how we deal with that. This person was telling me that they thought one of my greatest weaknesses was being too open - and its true, I am very open, I have a tendency to overshare and over react. And I don't like those things about myself. But - the more I think about it, the more I'd rather be that way inclined than the other. Or would I? I truly don't know, this is more musing than advice, because I don't have the answer. Someone once said - again, I don't know who (apologies for todays' total lack of knowledge) that the stronger person is the person who is brave enough to make themself vulnerable, or words to that effect anyway. Is that true? My natural reaction is to talk to people, though by no means everyone and anyone. Oftentimes I stumble across a person, and quite arbitrarily trust them, and end up spilling out things which might be best left in the recesses of silence. Sometimes you just feel like you know a person. Part of the problem perhaps, as I postulated to my friend - is the fact that this has never come back to bite me so to speak, I've never been let down by those people I've trusted. But then, why is it a problem? Perhaps I'm just lucky. Perhaps my friend has just been unlucky. Perhaps I should quit whilst I'm ahead. But - as I said - I can't help but think it must be very lonely not to tell anyone about the things that are hard, and making yourself lonely can't be strength. Is it not lonely in there?

I don't know which standpoint is that of the stronger person, perhaps it doesn't matter. Like I said, this is very much something I'm working through and making my mind up about at the moment. Infact, based upon my experience, and my conversation, and what I can glean from others, there isn't a lot of practical advice to be offered when it comes to strength. Other than just get on with it.

If you have to do it, well then, do it. Maybe it will almost kill you - but that's very unlikely, and if you survive it, then it doesn't really matter. Keep going. It cannot be this way forever, nothing stays the same. You can - and will - do it. And actually, the more I think about it - do share the weight. In holding anything up, its easier if there are two of you. Surely then its easier to share your weight? The fear I suppose, is that the person you're sharing with - your co-Atlas, will disappear, and you will be crushed by that globe unexpected. So stop being so afraid; stop being weak and take the risk. And if you make a bad call and they disappear? Well then you're not holding up anymore weight than you were before. Anymore weight than you would have done if they'd never shared your load.

My tips? You've heard them all before, so I only have one;

♥ You're already strong. Just don't be afraid to let yourself be it.

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