“The Lust for Comfort Murder’s the Passion of the Soul” – Kahil Gibran
Why as female athlete do we want to have it all? Play the part of the beauty and the beast; of both the cat and the mouse? When things are too easy, we want to dismiss it. Whether it’s a sport or a relationship, the challenge and wave of both good days and ‘bad’ keeps us going. Whatever your sport is, consider what drives you toward achieving your goals. And just when you think you’re ‘content’ why do you switch up your game, make a new goal, and redefine what “wanting it all” means?
That answer is different for every woman in this industry. I know for myself that I want it all because it’s out there for me to grab. At the same time there’s something indescribable that pulls me toward grabbing the challenge of bettering myself, even if I don’t want to. Maybe think most athletes can attest the same.
Some think my sport, Powerlifting, is more like battering than bettering myself. There is nothing beautiful about coming home with bruised and broken blood vessels, chopped up hands, dark and dilated eyes. Still, when I look at myself, I see a light that shines through them. One that says I know the beauty and long-suffering; the patience and trials that come with this sort of grueling mental, physical, and emotional hard work. Money and comfort can’t replace that. But I am human, a woman, and those have their place too. Yet, as I reflect through the stages of my life, I find my best experiences were never risk free. So much to the point that I often wonder, will I ever be content if I don’t push myself? My answer is no. Whether pushing in Powerlifting or lifting the lives of others, I need the struggle that comes with both tying and untying my hands, and the challenging dynamic that comes with teaching others techniques in how to free themselves.
Kahil Gibran, author of The Prophet knew this, wrote about it, and reminds us there is no deep personal and character satisfaction that comes out of ‘playing it safe.’ So, to be a beautiful beast means you are one who dares to take healthy risks, expand your thoughts, perceptions, and then transfer them into actions. Acting without always knowing the outcome, and that is where faith comes in.
So this fight of life, faith, self, love, loss, rebirth, beauty, and beast continues…it always will…
Just remember who’s on your side.
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Awesome writeup describing the "battle within", as well as, explaining the source and purpose of that motivation that can only come from deep in one's soul! I love your detailing on playing both "beauty" and the "beast", especially in our sport of powerlifting. Does the average person "get it"? Of course not! That's why the average person most likely is content with comfort and wouldn't understand why you push hard and then push harder to raise the bar.
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