People of my generation…remember the song I Wish by Skee-Lo?
That song was such an earjam for me “back in the day” (circa 1995).
It’s a funny and self-deprecating story of how Skee-Lo wishes his life was different. It’s interesting how in the song he wraps (raps – ha-ha) all of his wishes around getting taller. Something he can’t change. Ah but if he was taller, he’d get the girl, he’d be a baller. He’d get more respect and be more successful too.
That kind of “I wish…” thinking can really stunt a person. We’ve all done it though. Wishing for something that can’t be changed. I wish I was taller too! I wish my husband didn’t have MS. I wish I could play the guitar riff in Dire Straights’ Money for Nothing like a rock legend.
Placing a “then I could…” statement after these kinds of wishes… well, that line of thinking results in logical fallacy. Well, if I could play Money for Nothing like a rock legend then I’d be a rock legend. Ya, right.
But sometimes, those wishes are a bunch of nonsense excuses to not go after something you want. To give yourself a pass for not changing.
Yes, some wishes will always be wishes
But not all of them.
“I wish I had more free time.”
“I wish I had a better relationship with so-and-so.”
“I wish I loved kale more than chocolate.”
All excuses to not try. To not change.
And I’ve easily succumbed to that line of thinking. And changing this thought pattern can be is hard.
Being ready to go after a wish and make it happen isn’t always an easy thing.
Case in point: It took me a year to get my ass to a crossfit gym
Partly because of some back troubles that needed to heal first but mostly because I needed to be ready to turn “I wish” into “I will.”
I knew crossit would be hard without really knowing how hard it would be.
Talk about a reality check.
Being the least strong, least coordinated person in the gym is humbling.
But I’m not competing against those other people in “the box.”
My goal is to become the strongest version of myself – inside and out. I don’t need to compare my progress in crossfit to anyone else but me.
Am I going to make it to the Crossfit Games? Maybe…? That’s not my priority right now.
With everything going on in my family life, I need to go after a wish a make it a reality. And it’s all about small wins, like this one:
And this one:
Breaking big wishes into small wins…
I’m still learning how to break big wishes down into realistic goals. And being mindful not give myself a hard time for not doing more, working harder. I am working harder than ever before. That counts. Every time I show up to crossfit, it counts.
That’s it really.