Growing Pains

Have you ever been working for something you really wanted? Did it ever get tough and hurt whether it be physically, emotionally, or spiritually? Those are growing pains. Room must be made for anything to grow in any aspect of life. Making room in your life is what hurts. Even though sometimes these growing pains really hurt and can bring even the sturdiest knees to the ground, they make the growth meaningful.

In Olympic Weightlifting the most obvious growing pain is waking up everyday so sore that I walk funny. The amount of physical stress we put on our bodies at Pirate Weightlifting, the club I lift with, is extremely high. All of us push to the max every week. There are some days where we do not even want to touch the barbell from fatigue and muscle soreness. There have been days where I have been shaken from day dreaming by a teammate and I did not realize I had even begun to day dream. For all none weightlifting readers it might just seem like physical growing pains but if you dig a little deeper you'll find it untrue.

With any physical growth there is also mental and emotional growth. Sometimes there is even spiritual growth. A person cannot only grow one thing about themselves because we are not just physical beings or mental beings. Try it and when someone says what is different about you there will be at least two things different about you. In weightlifting, as with all sports, the athletes have to battle their own mind and emotions to push physically harder. That's what draws so many individuals to sports. It's addictive! Every time I lift a heavy weight I have to first get my mind right, then I have to channel my emotions before setting my body to the task. There are days where I even pray for strength because I know my own body and mind will not get me through a workout. Why do we do it? It's worth it.

I gladly wake up every day to hurt. I take positive outlook on the growing pains. Once I have worked and hurt for what I yearn for no one can take it from me. I earned it with the sweat of my brow and the strength given to my hands. Ask any hard worker, they will agree. There are really scary times with it though. There will be times you want to give in or doubt your abilities. Have courage. You can do it. If you're a reader who has not striven for something because for the fear of failure or hurting it's okay to be scared but it is not okay to try.  The hardest part will be getting out of your comfort zone. Once you're there you'll be astonished at how you'll grow. So build up some courage and get out there and fight in those pits. Hurt some now so you can grow some later. You have what it takes.

Thanks and keep battling.