Being open to new ideas and new people is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. It’s completely free. You don’t have to go to a store, buy it on sale, or get a two-for-one deal. By being “flexible” with our thoughts, not only our we minimizing stress in our lives, we’re creating energy movement within our bodies. You know the feeling. The high you get from pushing yourself towards the unknown. Call it exhilaration.
By no means do I have the answers to life’s problems. I will say, allow the inspiration of motivation to happen. Oprah calls it, the “A-ha” moment. I find mine sweating my little booty off in pilates class. I’m serious.
Magic happens when we allow ourselves to be simultaneously challenged - physically and mentally. Exercising can sometimes be more than about burning calories, and looking good. It can be a call to challenge our spirit. Who are we? What do we believe. Do we think we are possible of more?
Funny, what happens in pilates class, doesn’t stay in pilates class. If you’re open to new ideas. Challenge what you think is possible. You’ll start taking the same philosophy with you in your everyday life. Sometimes we joke exercise if life, but you have to self motivate to believe you can do more.
We can fuel our body with raw, organic foods. Cover ourselves in head-to-toe name brand athletic gear, but at the end of the day, if we don’t challenge ourselves to achieve more, we’ll never become stronger. Don’t you love the rush after you’re done with class. It’s because you said, “I can!”
In classes, you are surrounded by people who know exactly what you’re going through. The camaraderie after class. We all know the pain and suffering we experienced together. We motivated each other not to look for excuses. Instead we figured out modifications. We took breaks if necessary, but never gave up.
It’s important to talk about self motivation, because we can’t help but fall into a pattern. We have our set schedule. When things don’t going according to “plan.” We get irritated. I don’t know about you, but it physically doesn’t feel good, let alone, mentally feel good.
Throw in those days you feel “overstimulated.” It starts from the moment you wake up. The news blasts you awake. It’s not about puppies and ponies, but about the latest political he said/she said. It really does take the effort to get past the “noise.”
The same thing happens in the pilates studio. You feel pain. It hurts. Let’s admit it, it sucks sometimes, but how good do you feel after class? If you keep self motivating, you will see and feel results. They’re not overnight, but they do happen.
Yes, pain is a part of life, but shut off the negativity. If you focus on the bad of life, you will not see the joy, youth, and beauty surrounding you. I noticed I was letting myself be sucked in by the negativity around me.
Your mindset dictates how you perceive the world around you. When your boss sends you an email, or the friend who’s been annoying you lately texts. Notice you already feel tension before you even open up the email or read frenemy’s text. Then you complain about these feelings to your family and friends, and this vicious cycle of negativity continues.
My pilates instructor made me realize we are the only ones stopping ourselves from being happy and achieving what we want. Yes, you’re going to fail, it’s going to hurt, but you know what? It’ll be over soon enough. The “high” is something you achieved all by yourself. You motivated past everything to believe in yourself, and for one hour, you were complete free to believe you are capable of anything.
Take the same motivation in your everyday. Achieve the impossible when everything around you tells you no. Asks you why you even try. Prove to yourself you can, and watch all the amazing things come to into your life. Make great things happen because you believe in yourself. Surround yourself by people who you believe in you, and life becomes magic. Because you made it happen.
