Our past experiences make up a large portion of the fabric of our existence, but those times must be thoughtful instances that remind us of who we are now. For many years, I had extremely low self esteem and believed that people around me were there to take advantage of me. I was the fat kid, non athletic, and never participated in sports. I was the kid that never roller skated, jumped fences, etc. Fast forward to 2016, my life is completely different. I am no longer that kid, but I often struggle with the inadequacies of my youth. It took time for me to reflect on these instances in order to use them as motivation.
In a different light, I see many ex-athletes in the gym who struggle with the notion that they no longer can move fluidly and demonstrate the athletic prowess that once came so easily to them. This is not a Greek tragedy, rather, it is an important step in reaching a new level of your abilities. No, you will not be the 17 year old version of yourself; however, you can be a even better 40 year old version.
Take some time to reflect on those days that were so dear to you and your ego. What was it that made you so happy then. What you will find out is that it was not the accomplishments but how the achievements made you feel. You were able to succeed and experience the exhilaration of completing a difficult task. You were empowered by the feeling that you were exhausted at the hands of exertion and made it out with the euphoric feeling of endorphins passing through your mind. What you were addicted to at that point in your life was the happiness not the age. You can find that happiness again if you allow it. The coaches at OCF are here to help motivate you and guide you in order to reach this again; however, in order to do this you must be prepared to relinquish the past and embrace the current you.