For the Joy

Sometimes the best way to get out of our own way in fitness is to do something we like that we are not good at.

 

Counterintuitive, right?  I’m supposed to be telling everyone to excel or something.  Actually, I’m not.  I’m here to promote health.  And sometimes health is about playing.

 

Playing doesn’t have a goal in mind.  When we play, we do whatever it is we are doing for the joy of doing it.  It doesn’t mean we don’t play hard, but we’re not attached to some outcome beyond the present enjoyment.

 

Take me and swimming, for example.  I am not a great swimmer.  I’m unlikely to drown, but that’s about all that can be said about my abilities.  But I love swimming.  I love being in the water and the feel of my body moving through it.  Because I love it, I’ll do it and have a good time even if objectively I’m doing a poor job of it.  My body gets to work and I get to let go of all the judgments that I might put on myself about my performance (other people who want to judge my performance can go pound sand; I’m too old for that crap.).

 

Of course I’ll get better at swimming over time, but I’m not thinking about improvement.  I’m just enjoying what I’m doing.

 

Go play.