To be totally honest with you, whenever I think about this topic, I get fired up. It triggers something in my brain related to toughness — mental toughness, physical toughness, emotional toughness.
It reminds me of the scenes from “Braveheart” where William Wallace is rallying his troops. He has his war paint on, and his rag-tag guerilla army made up of Scottish farmers with little to no training is facing the full might of the English army. When they’re lined up to fight and it looks totally hopeless, he charges them up, getting them to stick to his strategy and above all else… “Hold the line!”
This is sometimes what it takes for us too. Internally. In our own lives.
When we are facing our own demons — big or small. When we want things to be different and are trying to make adjustments to our lives, be it our daily habits, our approach to work, our relationships, or whatever else.
Wanting things to be different isn’t enough. If we truly want it, we’ve got to be willing to take action — just like the Scots did against England. And trust me, that English army will look just as intimidating.
These are things that put us outside our comfort zone — sometimes just a little bit outside, sometimes way outside. Anything that’s a change from what’s “normal” will require us to face something that causes us to feel uncomfortable.
And, naturally, it will cause us to want to retreat. To shrink back into safety, back into the zone where we know it’s safe, where we’ve been living up until now.
Too often we let ourselves go back to what we know, in spite of how bad it might have been there, how miserable it made us feel, or how unhealthy the bad habit might have been.
It’s like the comfort of a well-used blanket and the cozy corner of your couch, the spot that feels oh-so-good to hang out in. But when you’re in that spot, you spend hours watching movies and TV, avoiding the real stuff going on in your life.
That sense of comfort is calling out to you, pulling at you. It’s reminding you of how good it felt there, and it’s making you have thoughts like, Maybe these new actions aren’t really that important.
Sometimes the comfort of the known provides solace from the fear, anxiety and uncertainty that comes with the zone of the unknown.
Do you remember “The Matrix”? Cypher is that guy. He’s so drawn back to his life the way it was — where he could just enjoy a steak and his life (despite the fact it was all just a neurological fabrication for his mind) — that he’s willing to betray his friends and all he knows, just to get back to that place.
Sometimes we find it easier to deal with the misery we know than the difficulty, fear and uncertainty brought about by change.
But that’s not the recipe for creating the life you’ve always wanted for yourself. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. No revolution was ever waged without discomfort, courage and a willingness to get highly uncomfortable. (The American Revolution started with a declaration of freedom. Talk about uncomfortable…)
And so I say to you, when it comes to your life and making changes toward having your dreams come true: HOLD THE LINE!
When you have a moment of clarity — a vision of your life the way it could be — and you start to take a new, different action, do not waiver.
HOLD THE LINE!!
Know that it’s going to get tough. That you won’t feel like showing up. That you’ll get scared. That you might even want to turn tail and run.
Know that your mind will play tricks on you that will get shiftier and trickier depending on the magnitude of the change. That you’re going to want to give yourself a pass.
HOLD THE LINE!!!
Know that success will come in fits and starts. That the sky won’t always look rosy. That there are storms ahead that will test your resolve.
HOLD THE LINE!!!
Know that the world will align against you. That your fears and doubts will cause you to second-guess yourself.
Know that your friends who knew you the way you were will fight for you to stay that way. That it will take courage to hold the rudder true and fast, face the storm, and keep going no matter what.
HOLD THE LINE!!!
Why? Because you can!
Winston Churchill once said that success is going from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm.
HOLD THE LINE!!!
It takes more than wishing.
It takes more than wanting.
It takes more than believing.
It takes action.
Any action — even one that may eventually turn out to be wrong — do it. Feel the fear and do it anyway. And when you get scared…
HOLD THE LINE!!!
Whether or not you’re doing the Whole Life Challenge, you can take this into your life. Be intentional. Be true to yourself. And don’t collapse when tested… because trust me, you will be tested.
You got this.
Andy is a certified CHEK Practitioner and holistic lifestyle coach. He holds a spectrum of certifications from CrossFit and is also a Vivobarefoot certified running coach. He has trained as a Zen buddhist and graduated with a Master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.
Andy founded CrossFit LA one of the first and most successful CrossFit training centers in the world and the first to be featured in national media. He is the co-founder of the Whole Life Challenge, Inc, currently its president, and is also a consultant and life/business coach. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Julia, and son, Dashel.
