I Hate the Beginning

I had a visit with my chiropractor this week to get a tune up on my famous, or should I say infamous, tight back. It is never a pleasant experience getting that thing realigned. It fights to maintain whatever shape it currently finds itself in. On one hand that is a great attribute in that I hardly ever have spine woes. On the other hand it absolutely sucks trying to get that thing back into alignment if something is out. A visit to my chiropractor can be like going a couple of rounds with Mike Tyson.

At the end of my treatment we stuck up a conversation about my Ultimate Black Belt Test and my physical requirements. My chiropractor is pleased that I have taken the time to heal my past injuries before taking on this challenge, but he acknowledged the frustration and dread that must come from starting over. It is a lot easier to maintain a lifestyle and structured training regime than it is to disrupt it to tend to an injury and and then begin again. I hate starting. I love the feeling that comes from training hard and consistently so that the entire ordeal becomes effortless effort. The part that sucks is every moment before I get to that point.

I have enough mileage on my chassis to have logged my share of experience with starting over. Every time I do, I remind myself of how much I hate it and how this time I am going to be careful and train more intelligently so that I will never have to start over again. I am very motivated to get it right this time.

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” - Meister Eckhart (1260 - 1327)