Kickboxing kicking my butt!

 Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. -Lou Holtz

"Megan" from work asked me a few days ago if I wanted to go to a Kickboxing class in Royal Oak. At the time it sounded like a great idea. I thought I have been wanting to take a cross training class for a while this would be a good trial.
The more I thought about it the more I wanted to go. I knew "Megan" would be surprised I was following through.

Today I had so many frustrations. I didn't go to the gym or run knowing that I was going to this kickboxing class.
My shoulders were so heavy and I was so burdened with disappointments. I am easily discouraged by the thoughtlessness of people as of late. I am so hurt by the constant degree of "SELF" that is out there. So many people have hurts and have been hurt and yet can not see outside of their own pain. There has to be a point in all of our Pain that we see others. We love others, we help others. Pain is not isolated. I know that at certain places Pain comes in and buries us. This world crashes down on us and so often we can not get a breath. We can not find our bearings. But we do not hurt people in our hurts. This is where I am at. I know people are hurting yet they are hurting others in the midst of it. This is a tough pill to swallow right now.

It would hurt me to know that I could have helped someone in THEIR pain but was so concerned about MY own pain that I did NOTHING. I shared Nothing. They reached out to me and all I could do was address my own hurt and grief. And I did or said things that hurt them as well.
I hurt MORE for not only myself  but I would have ADDED pain, I would carry their pain of hurts, disappointments and discouragements.

The sweat was stinging my eyes. It burned with no sign of letting up. As I hit the bag I could feel the skin on my knuckles give way.
I could hear the instructor screaming " ONE, TWO, THREE, GET Your HANDS Up, FOUR, FIVE...."
I hit the bag hard and fast. Each blow I removed a layer of pain if only momentarily. The physical pain and the physical exhausting of this class still was not close to the pain of what people can do to you. So I punched harder, I accepted the sweat, I embraced the soreness of my muscles and allowed the fatigue to swell inside my body. The muscle confusion was taking a welcomed toll on my body and my mind.

I could hardly walk to the car. "Oh my Booty..It hurts soo bad Megan." We laughed all the way to the car in our sore beat up bodies.

This was a great class. I think I am going to find a cross training class this winter. It will break up the winter and help to build some different muscles.

The afflicted Pain of others will always be there. It is just trying to filter other peoples garbage that they dump on you. People have gotten so SELF driven. It is no wonder people are not internally happy. Happiness and joy really presents itself in being an encouragement to others DESPITE your own hardships. Everyone has Pain but MANY have no one to encourage them, love them, or try to help them. 

Ariel Challenge: This week in your weakest moment think of someone else that is also in a weak moment. Think of a way that you can be an encouragement to them. A phone call, a text message, a card, a bag of Christmas candy, maybe it is a dessert or something so simple as a HUG.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. -Mark Twain

Anita