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Personal Transformation Through FitnessBy Donna S. Ginter "My fitness program was never a fitness program. It was a campaign, a revolution, a conversion. I was determined to find myself. And in the process found my body and the soul that went with it." – Dr. George Sheehan "On Running and Being" Autumn is a great time to not only start a new fitness program, but a time to begin to change the way we feel about our bodies; and ultimately, about ourselves. It is a time of transformation. Just as Mother Nature is beginning her annual death-birth ritual, so too can we begin our personal metamorphosis. No more are the dog days of summer when we "let it all hang out." Autumn is a time, if not literally, then figuratively, to go inside. It is a time to retreat. Take a look in the mirror. Who do you see? Are you satisfied? Are you fulfilled by your vision? What we see when we first look at ourselves often sets the tone for our entire day. It determines our level of comfort and confidence; our moods and how we treat those around us. "Our bodies are us," writes John Updike. And although working out will not fill your entire day, it will influence what you do and how you do it. Therefore, leading a fit life is imperative to leading a full life. In fact, training the body was an essential part of Plato's prescription for education. "Education," he said, "should train the body and mind as one. Only then can the body which is the source of energy and initiative be put in harmony with the mind which is reason." The mainstream portrayal of fitness as vain, glamorous and solely external is more than misleading; it is empty and void of meaning. No wonder that according to the Surgeon General, only about 20 percent of adults and youth are engaged in regular physical activity. The problem, of course is that nothing in our physical world will continually and totally satisfy us. Leading a fit life is not about what you look like but rather what you feel like. You see, the person who pushes himself beyond what he believes to be his physical limitations, discovers what he is truly made of, and in doing so discovers himself. "Fitness can be our formula is not for greatness, then for the self-knowledge necessary to lead a full life. Which is the most all of us, great or small, can expect," And yes, every one of us can become some kind of athlete. The first step is to change your thinking. Take a positive proactive approach to fitness. The changes in our lives occur by what we do, not by what we do not do. The question to ask yourself is, "I have one life to live, how do I want to live it? As a sedentary bystander, or as an active participant?" Get healthy. You'll thank yourself for it. |