You’re Strong! And Confident!

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Or is it the other way around? When it comes to the quality of my strength, circumstances can be dictatorial. If the mind had hands, it would go hand in hand with its body, knowing that it’s beneficial to be in unison when working on strengthening exercises. It SHOULDN’T be mind over matter, with one being the domineering bitch, and yet some times my matter has a mind of its own.

Enough with the figures of speech and sounding conflicted! I’m happy to report that for the months of July, August and so far in September, I’ve become more consistent with my yoga, weight-lifting and stretching routines, having one hour workouts 2 or 3 times a week, with great consequences.

Recently, when I was assisting a sick friend–lifting her from a sitting to a standing position–she exclaimed, “You’re strong!” She became confident that she could lean on me and I wouldn’t let her fall. That in turn gave ME confidence in myself and my strength.

However–yep, there’s always a ‘However’–I’ve been irritated by sciatica for the past few weeks, so any walking beyond 3 blocks yields a vise-like grip sensation, starting on my bum and going down my leg. Since physical therapy has helped me overcome past ailments, I live in hope that sciatica’s days are numbered–because of my yoga routines.

Have you heard that Marine Corps saying: ‘Pain is weakness leaving the body’? Right. There seems to be a never-ending supply of pain and weakness in most of our lives–whether physical, mental or emotional–and it’s fantastic when we can cultivate coping mechanisms to keep the feebles at bay. So what happens when the coping mechanisms become too strained and unhelpful? I believe in fresh starts and our ability to regain strength, even when it seems hopelessly lost–it’s still within reach, just waiting.