#358: SPOTLIGHT: Jennifer Salopek
SUPER CHANGE! WEEK #1:
After six years and 357 notes we are making a notable change!
We've decided that we want many more people involved! The community’s strength has grown so much and relationships are wider and deeper with more cross pollination than we could have ever imagined. As such having more voices seems more aligned with the current nature of the community.
Specifically going forward, every Tuesday we will be sharing someone’s response to a distinct question we have posed to them. And it all starts today! Below is the very first note, written by Jennifer Salopek.
- Amanda and Pip
Question for Jennifer:
Randy Pausch once wrote that “walls are put in front of us to see how badly we really want something.” Is there a project in life or work that came with (or comes with) many obstacles (i.e. “walls”) that revealed that your initial intention and excitement was not as strong as you thought it was ?
Jennifer's Response:
In a pursuit to improve my health and functional fitness, I joined a cross fit gym in our town. It is a small business owned by an exceptionally nice guy, whose mission was to create a family friendly, neighborhood gym. I admired his initiative and warm approach to the community. However, I knew nothing about cross fit and quickly experienced a rather rude awakening. The other participants (including my spouse and a couple of friends that I had introduced to the gym) were primarily former athletes (high school and college) or endurance sport enthusiasts.
I greatly enjoyed the people, but found myself dreading every class. There is actually a wall as part of the fitness programming. It is designed for handstand push ups and "wall walks" which are as exasperating as they sound. I managed just the handstand part. Another "wall" is the competitive nature of the workouts themselves. Each participant is categorized - Warrior (lowest) up to 'BAMF' (highest) which I had to ask for the meaning and will not repeat. Whatever program you selected, the coach would strongly encourage you to increase the weight and/or intensity, as if they were on commission. "Wall" #3: It turns out that the friend I was taking classes with, and whose company I quite enjoy, is a fierce competitor in the gym. She was very kind to help me but also consistently compared our performance. You may have guessed that the comparison rarely favored my version of the Warrior workout.
It was difficult for me to admit that cross fit was actually not a good fit for me. I had wanted it to be my primary fitness option and was envious of the others who had better strength and stamina. I finally got the courage to stop going and acknowledge that I did not like it. Instead I see my friend for lunch and I embarked on an entirely different fitness strategy (weight training, pilates and heated yoga) and I am happy as a lark.
Amanda’s thought…
I suspect Jennifer would love all direct responses from you. I find it incredibly encouraging when I hear from any of you after I share my thoughts. It is powerful for me. I assume many others have a similar experience. So here is Jen’s email… pip
Jen! First of all, thank you Jen for your openness, honesty, and willingness to share on this rather intense experience ...
I so enjoyed and appreciated the idea of seeing “walls” and then converting them into “doors”. Your note altered my initial assumption that when I come across a "wall" in my personal life, I just have to find a way to push forward and break through it in order to move on. However, you widened my thinking. Sometimes it's more beneficial to recreate that wall into a door that leads to something fresh. In other words, to turn it into something that is better-suited for my personality and needs, is genuinely enjoyable, and is meaningful to me as I strive toward my goals.
And, I mean handstand pushups??? Really? Are those even legal??
- AP
