Challenge yourself

Part of building energy and personal growth always includes challenging yourself. You can't grow if you do, say, and think the same thing every day for 20 years. That is how you stagnate. Sometimes people go to the extreme (and we know extremes are NOT what it is all about), to that "no pain, no gain" mentality. There is plenty gain without pain, even in the physical world.

The key is as with anything, moderation. The only this extremes do (whether it is stagnating or going overboard) is harm. 

You do need to challenge yourself. I remember a running coach telling me, "run an extra 10 yards, but not an extra mile, there is no need to damage yourself trying to build yourself up.It makes no sense."  Don't take on more than you can handle. Even one step more on a run, is an improvement. A mile more may mean shin , ankle, knee, and hip problems, plus a host of other issues. I used to run in Henderson, Nevada. A few times I saw someone running just ahead of me. He was a short man, but built like a bull. He took his time, he kept perfect form, and never pushed too hard. One day I got a look at the front of him, it was Iron Mike Tyson. People who are pros know that excess is bad, period.

Excess is bad in anything, you know it already. Excess leads to words like "addict" and "workaholic" Yet the issue usually isn't overdoing in our society, it is underachieving, or not even trying. The idea is to challenge yourself, but don't confuse the word challenge with "excess". Learn something new. Open up to another person's viewpoint. Look for truth, research, and scrutinize things so that you easily recognize issues, lies, hoaxes and problems right off the bat. Don't follow the "company line" or the "party line", THINK for yourself. God/ Creator/ the Universe gave you a brain, use it. Never allow anyone to tell you what to think or believe.

Learn so that your life will be easier. Learn from other people's mistakes so you don't have to live through them yourself. Take on the challenge before it takes you on! I write the blog for my students and my clients, people who want growth. They love it. People who don't want growth, who are stuck in old ideas and ways, won't like it. I really am not concerned with them, I am joyous in the people who want to learn and grow. The old adage "you can lead a horse to water" is certainly true!

It doesn't matter what you want to take on. It can be physical (which I have done from 20 some years of dancing to running and kick boxing), to education (I have several degrees, and read multiple books a day), to experiences (traveling to new places, learning a new skill, reading, taking a class, joining a group of people, volunteering). I have been in car clubs, quilt classes, dance groups, and more. Expand. Grow!

Go where there are people with different ways of doing things, You don't have to leave the country to do that. There are places in this country where people think, and live their day differently than you do. I can guarantee that from having visited thirty six of the fifty states, and living in five of them,including three regions of the US. I lived int he hustle and bustle of the east coast, the carefree attitude of Las Vegas, and the west just off Native land on the Checkerboard Reservation. When I went to town, I looked like the minority, little did they know....But I learned so much from people there who shared their culture. Navajo, Hopi, Apache and Pueblo people. All wonderful souls more than ready to share stories, ways, and culture.

Expose yourself to new experiences, thoughts/ideas, activities. Start the easy way, a book from Amazon.com (you can buy used books for as little as a penny and download many for free). Join a group, take classes/lessons. Go to a day activity you haven't tried before. Many parks, towns, and organizations try to expose people to new ways.

Every time we go to Sedona we make sure we hike a new trail. There are hundreds in the area, so it is an easy thing to do. We have hiked up high, down low, through water, through desert, in wilderness areas, and on well groomed trails.I have fallen in a snow runoff creek (not fun), and Matt has learned all about thin air at high altitude the hard way. In New York we hiked 5 miles up a difficult trail (stepping over boulders all the way), and then 5 miles back down (which really wasn't any easier). The next days hike was on flat land and it was short, but we did it (after a night of rubbing oil into sore muscles).

There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment when you take on a task and achieve it. Start small so you don't self disappoint. Start with beginner's books and classes, work your way up, and if pain is ever involved...stop. You don't want to take on too much so you don't think "this is hard". You should think" this is Fun, exciting, interesting, challenging..."

The only time I ever had pain in over 20 years of dance, running, or kick boxing is when we had teacher's goof (one kick boxing class we were doing squats and were told to keep going...the teacher stopped to talk to another teacher about classroom use. We kept going. We couldn't walk the next day, she apologized).  Challenge yourself, does not mean "hurt yourself", it really does NOT, you will CAUSE problems instead of bypassing them. I have never had damaged muscles, shin splints, sprains, broken bones...there is no reason for any of that. Pain is your body's way of telling you "THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE", that is why we have pain. Listen to your body, respect it, and work WITH it.

So take a moment and stop and think what your challenge will be today, and if you are already struggling, or God forbid in pain, then take a totally NEW direction for your next challenge!

You can do it!


Peshaui Wequashimese




(C)2012 Dr R M Wolf. May not be used, copied or reproduced without prior written permission.