I
wrote before about dabbling in CrossFit. This movement is hardcore — there are
timed runs and sandbags and warm-ups that feel like workouts. I’m not gonna
lie, there has been some swearing, some near-tears and maybe even a little pee.
When I first went to the workouts, I put on a tough face, in part to mentally
prepare, and also to convince others that I was Serious.
And
then I started laughing.
A
few weeks in, one of the workouts included the wheelbarrow and crabwalk. I hadn't done these since the relay races of elementary school. Trust me, it’s much
harder as an adult! Later there were wall walks and forward rolls over
someone holding a plank position. I literally thought I might break my neck. And
though I had quite a bit of hesitation, I found that punctuating such
high-intensity workouts with these movements helped me to lighten up. Eventually
I learned to ease my tightly-held need for a certain kind of workout and a time
that put me at the top of the pack and decided to just have fun.
This
past year, for a time without knowing it and now more intentionally, I have
been taking lessons in Not Taking Myself Too Seriously. Incorporating both humility
and goofiness, these lessons include:
- Wearing brightly-colored knee-high socks when I run
- Playing a game and being ok with losing (over and over to the same people, at times)
- Engaging in pointless banter, especially with authority figures
- Not needing an excuse for every stupid thing I do
- Taking lessons from cheesy pop music videos (watch until the end!)
- Saying the crazy things that pop into my head — even if they’re slightly inappropriate and I need to be corrected
- Engaging in conversations with children. They are masters!
Any
others you can suggest? This game is fun! And life is a lot more fun — and easy
— without always having to be so darn Serious.
