“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” Sound familiar? I hope so, because we used that quote in our first blog and you’ll be seeing it in the months to come. In this blog we want to challenge you to step outside your comfort zone to try something new; to let go of your preconceived ideas of what you can do or what you should do.
Change can be hard, and changing our perspective,
particularly of ourselves, is really challenging. Given my career choice many people’s
perspective of me is that growing up I was athletic, playing sports on every
team in school. Not a chance; in fact in
gym class I was the one that was picked last for teams in every class. It took a long time before my perspective of
myself, being that non-confident, awkward, uncoordinated kid that will
instantly fail at athletics, also changed.
Fortunately I didn’t allow a lack of ability or interest in team sports
to subject me to a life of inactivity. I
discovered I was good at solo sports like running and cycling and those solo
endeavors allowed me to be in an environment where I didn’t feel judged. I overcame a fear of failing, or looking
silly and discovered other things I enjoyed, like resistance training in a gym
setting, yoga and Pilates. My
perspective shifted from thinking of myself as a weak, uncoordinated kid to a
person confident enough to run 100 mile races, staged multi-day events and mountain
ultra runs. But this shift didn’t happen
all at once; it took time and I need to step out of my comfort zone.
I also had to question my perception of what defined being successful. Spoiler Alert – not winning doesn’t mean failing. I was the last place female in my final trail run of this season. I could let a last place finish be perceived as a negative, that I somehow failed. Several times I have heard the statement “I just don’t want to be last” from people entering a race, like somehow it erases the accomplishment of completing an event or is equated with failure. I’m super proud of that final trail run of the season, even if I was last!
If you want to change your perception of what you are capable of accomplishing, perhaps start by asking yourself these questions:
·
Why am I afraid to try?
·
What do I have to lose by trying, and what do I
have to lose by not trying?
·
What’s the worst thing that will happen, and is
it really that bad?
So why not try something new and form your opinion after instead of predetermining what you are going to be able to do. There's something really rewarding about trying something new even if you fail at it, or don't like it. Being bold and trying will instill you with a sense of self because whatever it is you're trying, you'll feel empowered, like a person who isn't afraid, and who achieves, even in the smallest of victories.
If you aren’t sure where to start, begin with our Sampler Class Pack. You can challenge yourself with some new classes and hopefully be inspired to add something new into your regular routine.
For those of you who wanting to challenge your creative side, we invite you to submit a design to our PG T-shirt Design Contest! This contest is open to all members; you can be as creative as you like in creating a design that conveys a positive message.
Class & Program Details can be found at www.pulsegenerator.ca
Although it can be challenging to step outside the familiar,
often that is when we learn the most.
Remember that the Pulse Generator team is here to help. We hope you take this challenge as we GROW
STRONG TOGETHER!
Do you have some thoughts, ideas, comments to share about this blog? If so, leave us a message in the comment section of this blog.
