Im so sore!

You know when you have not been to the gym in a while, and you go work out, and the next day you are really sore? Why is that we are so sore the next day? Did we do something wrong?

Being sore means that you are using muscles that you have not used in a while and thus are sore. But this does not mean that you are doing something wrong or injuring your muscles or that you should quit. This means that you are doing things you have not done in a while, or ever, and this is how you know that your efforts are working.

This metaphor can be applied to life in general. Often times, when we try for new things, or take a stand for something new, we get opposition, hit a wall of adversity or just feel "sore". This does not mean we should stop, it means we are on the right track. Nothing worth working for in life is easy, because if it was, why would you try for it? The best things in life are difficult to attain, they take time, sacrifice, patience, will, and maybe even some luck. If we quit every time we felt "sore" we would never get anywhere.

Think about what happens once you get in a rhythm and you start working out on a regular basis. The soreness becomes less noticeable and can even go away completely. This is because your muscles have become used to working in that way and have gotten stronger and can work longer. This means results! But, what would happen if you never increased the weight you are lifting, distance or speed you are running, or the amount of repititions you are doing? Your exercise would actually become too easy and its effect would begin to decrease, maybe even to a point where it has no effect at all.

For me, this means that I must constantly be raising the bar in my life so that I am always getting a little "sore". No matter what the goal is or what part of your life you are trying to apply this too, it is applicable.

Once you get in good shape, a little soreness actually starts to feel good because it is a reminder that you are doing the right things; its a testament to your efforts. The soreness is never as bad as those first couple of days of working out but you can still feel it. I know that I want to constantly be improving in every aspect of my life and I want to feel that soreness as a constant reminder that I am heading in the right direction!

You will have constant opposition in everything you do. But as you become more "in shape" for life you will be able to handle it better. The "soreness" will always be there, but let it only make you sore and not lead you away from your path. Let the soreness remind you that your headed in the right direction!

-No one said it was going to be easy!
EC