How Badly Do You Really Want It?

Today was/is a difficult day. Every minute of my workout was a struggle. Every muscle fiber seemed to be pushed to capacity.

It never ceases to amaze me how much of a mental game it is to stay on track. It is as much a matter of the mind as it is a matter of the body. And with the many psych classes and different sports psych classes under my belt, it always seems that the mind can still take over and drive the body in any direction it wants to go!

Why?? Well, here's what's been going on with me:
I have been suffering from really bad allergies - even with the medicines I am on it's been pretty rough. The past three nights have been restless, non restorative sleep. As a result of my allergies, I have asthma. This week I have needed to use my emergency inhaler at some point during each workout! Crazy - especially since I am not even doing much cardio.
I am also in limbo, as I am waiting to find out if I need to compete in 10 days to sustain my National Level Status. Yes! A curve ball I was not expecting. The next Texas National Qualifier is luckily - or not - right around the corner. So this morning as I was wheezing and plugging through a workout, I was also fighting my brain on if I could pull it together in time because I was in regular training mode hoping to grow a bit more before the June show I was scheduling to do. Arggh! A lot frustrating. The mental prospect of...what if I have to compete and I don't place top 3 to make the National Level again...it to me, is daunting.

So why am I sharing my ups n downs? How does this relate to you?
In reality, we all struggle with "what if I am not good enough".
In friendships, in business, as parents... we can and often do second guess ourselves and the decisions we make.
I believe that is part of why some people even give up when or before they start to "diet" or even start a workout regimen.

The mental game. One small thing can throw you off.

I watch it regularly with my sons baseball team. They have talent, and took 2nd place at the mid season tourney this past weekend.
They could actually win more games if they believed in themselves and kept looking at the bigger picture...but they are only 8 :)
Every game is like a battle....we are up by ten.
One unexpected thing - like the opposing team catching a pop fly and then the whole tone of the dugout changes. The kids get worried! The opposing team catches up, we struggle and either barely win or they beat us. Kinda frustrating as a parent to watch, and sad to see your child go through it.

You learn to handle it better as you grow older. Or you develop coping mechanisms. For example - food as a source of comfort or working out to relieve stress, you know many more...

As I look back on the past few days it was a roller coaster. Up from great news from Iron Man Magazine, down from a discussion gone wrong with an acquaintance, up from great news from Bodybuilding.Com, down from being sick and getting worse, up from my son tourney win, down from the frustration of not being able to find out the regulations for a National Level Competitor.

I fought tooth n nail this morning at the gym as my mind dealt with the topics mentioned above.
And actually even though to me the workout was difficult and sucked....it really didn't!!
I actually improved! Even in my poor health! I pushed hard and my weights were heavy in all my exercises! I did all my sets, all at the heavier weights and made my rep range.

How badly do you want it? Will you struggle through to get there? Will you turn to a comfort zone or bad habit to cope? Will you let your mind rule or your heart?

And another question to think about...Is it your will or God's?
Mine, is God's (to the best of my ability to trust and hand it over to Him) and I gave that workout over to him and gave it back over to him every time I felt my mind kick in. Cause really I could walk away right now, head held high...but He keeps laying down the path that I am going to follow. And if it's a show in 10 days, then it is what it is.

As my Iron Man Magazine and Body Building.Com opportunities come closer....I will reveal them and another big one as well! I am extremely excited, yet much prefer to wait until everything is signed, seal and delivered, or in print and on the news stands.