Sunday Story…Thank You!!!

A quick note of Thanks! to all the people who have made my journey to the CrossFit games in 2017 such a success.

First my Mom. Because without Mom there’s no me! My parents instilled a simple value in me: if you are going to do it, do it to the very best of your ability. It serves me throughout my life.

My Business partner, Ellie McKenzie. She dug me out of self imposed exile in Fernley NV. with an opportunity to come to Dallas TX and create a community dedicated to fitness and health. She has put up with my ups and downs, training injuries, mercurial moods, and acted as a modulating force to my often explosive force. In the athlete’s area at the games her coaching and focus cues were invaluable. It’s been quite a journey and we are just starting to get traction!

My coach, Tino Marini, and the entire staff at CrossFit Invictus. Over the last 4 years they have continued to get better at programming, more innovative, and flat out smarter. Tino has programmed around a myriad of injuries over the last 2 years and has somehow managed to get me stronger and in the absolute best condition of my life going into the 2017 Games. No small feat given my last surgery on 12/15/17 and the inescapable fact that I am 60 years old.

My community at CrossFit Odyssey. There are too many of you to list here. You stepped up with donations to help fund the journey. You bought T-shirts. You show up every day with all your energy and enthusiasm for health and fitness. You serve as an inspiration for me! You make all the lonely workouts worth it. I hope I inspire you…to know you are only limited by what you believe to be possible. Your age, your current condition, your previous disabilities have no hold on your “What’s possible”. If you believe it, you can achieve it.

My support community…Chris Babb and Landon Webster and the whole crew at Kinetik Chain without whom this old body would impossible to manage. Kelly Carden at CryoOne for freezing me regularly. Mark Murdock and his people at Phoenix Re-gen for getting me into the NovoThor infra-red bed which was an invaluable tool for recovery as the lead in to the Games took its toll on me. Dr. Soryal at Texas Sport for getting my knee working again. Dr. Mezera at Dallas Hand and Lower extremity for not 1 but 2 fixes on my thumb.

I know that isn’t everyone. I am extremely grateful to everyone who made this Journey to Extraordinary possible and, yes, Extraordinary!

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Painted

With the same brush. If you hang around clowns people will think you belong in a circus. If you dress like a clown, you probably are a clown. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. These are just a few of the things my Father used to say to me. Usually he said it when he wanted me to look more deeply at my words and deeds.

None of these old saws are fair. You should be able to dress however you want and not worry about what other people think or how they judge you. Hanging out with anyone you want doesn’t mean you agree with their religion, politics, or sexual orientation but it might. And just because you say certain things, dress a certain way, and attend certain meetings it doesn’t in your heart of hearts mean you are the same as everyone else that looks and says and does that stuff.

Or does it?

I didn’t like to admit my Father was right. But he was. You and I are the sum of the 5 or 10 people we hang out with the most. That includes the books you read, the music you listen to, and the language you spout. Use the language of love and I will assume you are a lover. Hateful language…a hater. Hang out with deeply spiritual persons and I will assume you have some semblance of spirituality. Hang out with people who idolize evil and I will assume you have evil in your heart.

If you don’t want people to think you are a clown don’t join the circus.

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412

Sunday Story...Balance vs. Harmony

We are often exhorted to have balance in our lives...career, family, hobbies all balanced. If we get out of balance something has to give in order for us to find balance again.

Balance is boring. Balance doesn't move, it is a static position. If everything is balanced there is no room for anything to change. Think of an old school scale...weight on one side and a st amount on the other until the arm or needle doesn't move up or down. It is balanced...the same on one side as the other. Nothing is going to change as long as the status quo is maintained. Balance doesn't win championships. Balance doesn't set world records. The reward of balance is mediocrity...just average not great not bad just dead center in the middle.

What I want in my life is harmony. There have been times when I was completely focused on my children, other times on my career or my business. The last 6 months I have been focused on the physical pursuit that was the CrossFit games. That's over now. While that was my focus, lots of other things got put on the back burner.I was out of balance but I was moving forward toward a big hairy goal. What I was trying to achieve in my life was harmony. Harmony allows me to move forward happily even when forward is toward a single minded purpose. Notice the word happily...I was moving forward happily because I have harmony. Because what I want and what I am doing are in lock step. Because the other parts of my life are running a bit more on auto-pilot and the part I am obsessing about needs all of my attention now. If I obsess and the rest of my life falls apart it is NOT harmonious. Harmony takes a certain amount of work...a constant attention to the big thing in the foreground and a noticing of all the other things running in the background.

Balance doesn't serve me. Harmony not only serves me but it allows me and the people in my life to understand what it takes to do things today as well as days, weeks, months, years into the future.

Harmony is easy once you find it.

John Mariotti
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
www.crossfitodyssey.com
775-338-2412