Yes sports fans, Allen Iverson’s famous rant (benched for missing practice, he repeated the phrase *we talkin’ bout practice* 22 times in a press conference) shall serve as fodder for the lesson today, which is:
You don’t get to be a champion unless you love to train.
Practice?
That’s right.
I’m talkin’ bout practice.
Even the great A.I. – despite his apparent disdain for practicing – loved to play basketball.
Roger Federer loves to play tennis.
Wayne Gretszky loved to play hockey.
They all loved to win too, but winning – be it awards, championships, or praise – wasn’t their primary motivation for playing, despite what you may think. It drove them to greatness, but wasn’t what summoned them to invest a disproportionate amount of their lives participating in, and preparing for their respective sports.
Pleasure did.
They all felt great just doing what they were doing.
I became a strongman because I wanted to flip tires, pick up stones, and do other cool stuff like that. Sure I cared about my results in competition. But I always looked forward to training. In fact, I didn’t really excel until I stopped caring as much about my competitive performance and threw my focus into my prep. As long as I was happy with how my training went, and had fun on contest day, the outcome would take care of itself.
Too often we want things – achievable things – but throw up veritable hailstorms of resistance to avoid getting there.
Take losing weight for instance.
Many people obsess over the number on the scale but bury their heads in the sand when it comes to changing their lifestyle. They proclaim that working out is torture, and cringe at the prospect of healthy food, which they consider bland. They’ll try shortcuts like crash diets, supplements, and juice cleanses – really anything to ensure not a single bead of sweat traverses their pores.
But that’s backwards, you see.
The best bodies belong to people who enjoy whatever mode of exercise they prefer, and possess a sense of satisfaction about nourishing themselves well.
In short, they like the ins and outs of acquiring their desired body. The activity itself is its own reward, without needing the additional payoff of being thin (or ‘thin right now‘) to feel good while doing it.
Surprise, surprise…they’re leaner.
People who love making money, and managing their money…are richer.
Whatever the achievement, it’s the ones who love the process of success that have it.
They don’t blow off practice.
(Well, most of the time.)
That’s why many humans approach to getting what they want is seriously effed up.
They just want the trophy.
But ya don’t get the trophy without practice…
…And you’ll never practice enough without passion.
What you’ll find, that I’ve discovered, is that there’s something else for us to gain through all this that goes way beyond winning or losing. And that’s what you really miss out on, unless you spend those days, weeks, or years covering the terrain in search of something wanted. Answer the call of your desire. Let what’s ahead entice you. Just don’t let it blind you to the beautiful vistas along the way.
Love the game…you can have your championship.
Love the process…you can have your result.
Yours In Great Health,
Conor Kelly
P.S. For help with de-mystifying the process of getting and staying LEAN, check out my latest Lean For Life talk in Liberty Village, May 17th:
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