What inspired me this year?

I read a lot.

On my phone. Via the kindle app. Or on Social.

If something strikes me as particularly inspiring or clarifying I take a screen shot. Why? Because I write a weekly fitness blog and I’m always looking for new material.

And sometimes I need a little inspiration too.

Let’s look at some of these saved screenshots and see if they can inspire us in 2024.

Really good copy here. I’ve tried repeatedly to say this over the last year. Whoever wrote this stated it more succinctly than I. Bravo.

It ain't sexy… but its true.

Gym discipline is hard.

Nursing home life is hard.

Choose your hard.

Alright one more.

“We experience life through our bodies. If we are not able to articulate our life experience, our bodies speak what our minds and mouths cannot.” - Dr Gabor Matte

Pain isn't always physical trauma.

The brain receives sensory information from your peripheral nerves, interprets the signals, and then provides an output. When the brain feels sufficiently threatened it will use pain as an output to motivate behavior change.

Stress, lack of sleep, and anger (among others) provide a certain kind of feedback to this loop. The output from them can easily be physical pain (despite no physical trauma). This pain often occurs at places where we have poor movement maps (low back, hips, knees). Our body uses pain not only to indicate physical trauma, but mental as well. It's a signal to motivate behavior change. Slow down. Sleep. Take a rest. Stop worrying.

We have to deal with our stress, our anger and the huge demands we place on our bodies. Move it out, lift it out, talk it out, breathe it out or train it out… before the body decides to make us sit it out.

Feeling pumped? Motivated. 2023 was great. Looking forward to sharing more in 2024!