Pain vs. Pleasure

Over the past month I've grown to learn a lot about myself in more ways than one thanks to my dear friend, Tony Robbins. A hand full of us coaches are going through Get the Edge and Personal Power. Each and every day I am challenged and pushed outside my comfort zone and forcing myself to raise the temperature. The discussion on Pain vs. Pleasure really hit home. I have listened to the CD probably about 5x. Tony reiterates how the need to avoid pain is a greater motivator for many people than the desire to pursue pleasure. Honestly, he could not be more correct.

This thought process applies to so many aspects of life. For instance, the weight/diet battle that so many people struggle with daily. So often the the pleasure of enjoying the entire chocolate cake or the huge plate of nachos is more pleasurable than achieving a fitness goal. The pain associated with resisting the indulgence is greater than the pleasure of achieving the end goal. So then ask yourself: What will be the pain if don't follow through? This concept applies to relationships, day-to-day tasks, basically everything. The goal at the end of the day is learning to control pain and pleasure.

Last year I was a mess before the Regional Qualifiers in Ft. Worth leading up to the 2009 CrossFit Games. I was still learning the sport, not confident in my abilities, and taking everything way too seriously. Fast forward to today and the tables have turned. I have fallen in love with CrossFit all over again. I am blessed with the ability to compete at an elite level with phenomenal athletes. Last year all I saw was the pain in competing, because I was scared of failure; this year I see the joy and pleasure with competition. This weekend I am competing because I can compete. This weekend I am competing in honor of my grandfather who is battling cancer. This weekend I am competing to celebrate the gifts and talents with God has blessed me.

Take that pain. 3, 2, 1 SHOWOUT!