Sunday Story…Compared to Who?

This is always the question…we are constantly judging, measuring, and comparing ourselves to the people around us. Am I like him or her, am I better or worse, am I keeping up or getting ahead?

 

We have been conditioned to do this…to keep up with the Joneses if you will. It seems to be part of our modern condition. Keep striving and trying and maybe someday you will be as good, have as much, be as successful as the mythical Joneses.  

 

The constant comparison is a puzzle you will never solve. You can’t.  The question you should ask yourself is who are your Joneses? What if you find a different set of Joneses to keep up with? Maybe you need a target to keep you motivated and if so then find the right target to shoot for.

 

The other part of the equation is being at peace with your comparisons. If keeping up with the Joneses is causing you stress and discomfort then maybe you are comparing yourself to the wrong set of Jones.

 

It is up to each of us to decide who were are comparing ourselves to, who we are trying to emulate, or who we are trying to be like. Having the right role model to chase is critical to your peace of mind.

 

Finding happiness with what you have doesn’t mean you have to be satisfied or complacent. It just means you have made peace with your Joneses.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Investment

One of the proverbs I like is this:

If you want shade, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

 

Basically, you must prepare for what you want in the future, now, in the present. If you want to speak Spanish because you are going to Spain you should learn it now. Waiting until you arrive in Spain will be too late.

 

10 years from now is going to come. There is no doubt that time is going to continue to march forward. The only question is what you will do to prepare for that inevitability right now.

 

Will you…

Continue your fitness journey or will you succumb to the ravages of time and ennui?

 

Move your career forward by getting additional knowledge or will you allow yourself to be relegated to the dustbin of failed to prepare for what’s coming?

 

Do what it takes to have your finances healthy or use the hope and pray method?

 

Prepare for your ultimate passing (yes, that is going to happen as well) so your loved ones can know your wishes or will you allow that inevitability to sow chaos and strife and stress among those you leave behind?

 

A person with wisdom and maturity invests in action before what is needed is needed. Be smart, be proactive, but most of all be in action!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story...2021

Most of us are not going to be sad to bid adieu to 2020. And that is certainly understandable. 2020 has been unprecedented in my memory for the challenges and obstacles it presented not only to us as individuals but to all of us as a society and culture. I am not going to re-list those challenges...it would be tedious and more than a little depressing. Suffice it to say, 2020 ended with far fewer promises fulfilled than it began with promises promised.

There are several descriptors I could use for 2020...interesting, tragic, painful, heart-rending, hard all come to mind. On the other hand, we found some things we had lost sight of, or things we allowed to be put on the back burner sacrificed to the altar of busy and self-absorbed. 

We found resilience, strength, and perseverance. We re-discovered the importance of family bonds and friendships. We re-worked how we work and reprioritized our to-do lists. We had to change the stories we tell ourselves when the greater world forced us to change them.

2021 is upon us. There is no going back nor is there a way back to the way we were before March 2020 ripped the facade off. We now know different ways...some better than others but certainly different. Will the way forward be smooth sailing? Of course not, has it ever been? It will be filled with ups and downs, starts and stops, fits of brilliance and pique. As it always has been no matter what we would like it to be.

You have no idea how strong you are until strong is the only choice you have.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Ritual and Habit

We do many things because that’s the way we have always done them. There are very good reasons for this...it brings stability, gives us a foundation to build on, and creates a ritual around which we can find space to move ahead. 

I like rituals and habits, they feel comfortable and I find a certain freedom inside that keeps me on point for the tasks ahead. Inside the container allows for certain movement.

That being said, when those habits and rituals become an unthinking rote response are they truly serving their purpose? Are there other options, other new and more effective ways to achieve a better result? Or even more important, are we even using the same measurements to get to the same goal?

At what point do the habits and rituals get in the way of trying to get better or do better or be better? And at what point will we realize that our adherence to the usual way of doing things is standing in the way of real progress?

Opportunities abound if only we can look outside the wall of habits we have constructed around ourselves.

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…5 Things

I often get questions about what can be done to improve fitness and health. Everyone wants a “magic pill.” That one thing you can do that will make everything better. I am sorry to tell you that there is NO magic pill. But I am going to give you 5 simple and easy things you can do to improve your health and fitness this year.

1.   Drink more water. This goes without saying but your body is made up of 70% water. Dehydration will decrease your performance whether in the gym or the boardroom. You won’t be as sharp or as strong as you could be without enough water. Aim for a gallon a day and you can include Gatorade or other things just not caffeinated beverages (they are diuretics!)

 Prioritize recovery.  Constantly pushing for new heights will only get you injured or sick. Your mind and your body need time to properly recuperate. Work smarter not harder!

3.   Stop Obsessing over Food. Eat real food. Eat food that is prepared with love and care. Eat it in an environment free of stress and strife. Use the 80/20 rule (I prefer 90/10) that says I will eat really healthy food 80% of the time and let the rest go. Stop eating before you are full.

 

4.   Sleep more. Make a sleep schedule and stick to it. Create healthy bedtime rituals…just like you may have done for your children. Make one for yourself as well. Start tracking how you are sleeping…if you measure it you can manage it!

 

5.   Visit your medical professional for regular check-ups. I have to admit this is one I don’t do. I will do better this year! This is an early warning system for your health. Doing this may head off any unforeseen issues.

 

There you are…5 simple and easy things you can easily do to improve your health and fitness.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412 

Sunday Story…I will Survive

It’s that time of year (again!) when we assess all the things that went right and maybe not so right over the last 12 months. And what a ride it has been.

 

Can you even remember what January and February were like? Those pre-CoVid months when the year was young and the promise was new. The major thing looming was an election in November.  Then the world went topsy-turvy. All bets were off. Each one of us had to face things we never imagined before.

 

And we did. If there were no pandemic 2020 still would have been a year for the ages. An election, civil unrest, political machinations all took place in spite of a raging pandemic that turned lives inside out. And it isn’t over yet. We may still be faced with months of unknown turmoil. Sucks.

 

Yet here we are…adapting, moving forward, finding new ways of getting life done. We humans are amazing creatures. Over the ages we have faced down many challenges to our continued existence. And here we are.

 

Evolution is not the survival of the fittest. It is the survival of the most adaptable, the most resilient. Those are the humans that will emerge from this year, these months of turmoil and unknown challenges.

 

When I look forward to 2021 I know I am stronger for the things 2020 threw my way. And I know no matter what 2021 puts in front of me I will adapt and I will survive.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Motivation

We humans are an odd lot. One of the most common things I hear is, “I need some motivation.” It isn’t like I have a bucket full of motivation to dump on your head. So what are we really saying when we ask for more motivation?

 

Motivation, generally, comes in two flavors…the carrot or the stick…punishment, or reward. I can be motivated by fear…something bad will happen if I don’t do X. Conversely, I can be motivated by the promise of reward…If I do X I will get Y. the problem is that both of these things are fleeting. Once I get the reward or punishment the motivation is gone unless I want more reward or am afraid of the bad things happening again. Sooner or later, though I’ll get tired of either or both. Thus the “I need motivation request.”

 

True motivation isn’t found outside of us. That will always disappear after a certain amount of time. True motivation is derived from a deep knowledge that what you get from the activity isn’t the results but the process of doing. This deep knowledge takes time to develop, I can’t say a few magic words and there it is. You need to believe that the activity will be its own reward. Your mindset has to discover the reward inside the doing. Once that happens motivation is automatic.

 

It isn’t the destination that is the reward; it is the journey to get there.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412