By Craig Hysell

 

CTF is an awesome place to be. It’s a daily party, a daily event, a daily workout and a daily practice at living life with joy. So how can you make sure you are getting the most out of your experience?

Practice these three things and I guarantee you, you will climb to the next rung in that sometimes challenging ladder we call self-improvement.

1. Let Go. Not every day is a competition day. It’s okay to relax and practice rather than compete. We are a “training facility” not a “competition facility”. What’s that mean really? It means that some days, it’s much more beneficial to back it down and practice a skill.

Feel free to tweak the dial on your game face every now and than and get a technique PR instead of a weight PR. I have seen so many of you working on your details as of late. And as a result, you are improving much more quickly and certainly without any setbacks due to muscle strains or tweaks.

If you know your “why”, then training is easy. Let the “Level” go sometimes. Listen to the purpose your Instructor lays out and, if it’s suitable for the day and your why, come up with a unique game plan and record your own “Rx’d.” Call it what one of our members has dubbed: Level Awesome.

2. Play. I used to be a very, very serious person when it came to training. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself. (Probably because I had too much fun in my twenties and early thirties and paid some heavy costs…) I used to not have any fun. As time drew on, this wore me down. I began to hate training. This was no good.

Enjoy trying new movements. If you’ve grown comfortable doing the same movements or same weights, try the next movement up at less repetitions or add 5#’s to the bar. Try a new seminar or specialty group that intrigues you.

“Scores” can drive us and they are great, but sometimes they can cloud our appreciation of how far we are coming along as individuals. We can sometimes get lost in comparing our progress next to another who is not living with the same challenges we are.

You are unique. Embrace this. Push yourself of course. But enjoy it! Make it play time instead of pressure time. For your hour at CTF, be in the present. Let the past go. Do not be concerned with the future.

3. Look out for each other. We are One Team. (On the day you all got together and proclaimed this over a year ago, a tear of pride literally fell down my cheek.) Never forget that.

You are a team of awesome folks doing awesome stuff together. Look out for each other. Be genuine in the support of those around you and they will be genuine in their support of you. Cheer each other on to the end.

Do not put your weights back until everybody’s finished with their workout. (If class runs long and you have to skate to work, let your Instructor know and they will put it back for you, no worries)

As your daily challenge at CTF finishes, look around for others you can support so that they may get through theirs.

We all need one another. We are stronger together than separate. And I can share with you what I personally believe and have experienced: when you care more about others than you do yourself, your pain becomes much less intense, much more manageable and your growth becomes electric. The world becomes a much more beautiful place to live in.

(Trust me, I have failed at this many times, even with some of you, but because I do not accept failure, I have learned this to be true. And do you know who taught me this? You. So thank you.)

 

Keep up the phenomenal work, Army. You make CTF a fantastic place to come to every single day. My goal and the goal of our entire CTF staff is to make your hour with us the absolute best part of your day every day you come in.

P.S. If you come in late every now and then, don’t worry about it. Get warmed up and hop in as best you can. Sometimes life happens. Just make sure you are properly warmed up before you start playing with your friends. Stay healthy, stay amazing, enjoy everything.