On Strength

What do you think of when you hear the word strength?  Power? Muscle? The ability to persevere? The word has many meanings, as do many words in our language. As a fitness professional many people come to me to help them with their physical strength. Building muscle, stronger hearts, being able to lift and play with their children, get through their day, etc. What I hope to be able to foster is an atmosphere that encompasses strength in many meanings.

Physical strength is easy for most. We work out, we eat right, our muscles grow, and strength comes. That’s just science. We all need a certain amount of physical strength to get through our day, or what we call your ADLs- activities of daily life. Any strength past that is largely useless.  How many times weekly do you need to squat 200 lbs or bench press a Buick? What that helps us find is mental fortitude.  The strength to see what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. And this carries on into our life outside of fitness.

The mental strength of what we can handle is largely what I want to speak about in this piece. So often we think that strength is brute force, barreling through our obstacle with no fear… and that’s only part of it. Strength can also be admitting that you need help, allowing yourself grace in hard times, the strength to say no, or the strength to know what is best for you and to let of what is not.  Sometimes strength isn’t holding onto the rope, it’s realizing that what’s on the other end of the rope is hurting you. I heard a new song recently and a line from it really struck me. “At the end of the road I don’t want to hold on, I want the strength to let go.” Strength is standing up for your beliefs, and also being open to new ones. Strength is being firm about your needs but being tactful in translating them to others. Strength is going after the things you want, realizing what you need, and being thankful for what you have.  These are all aspects of strength.

To me, the opposite of strength is not weakness, but uncertainty. Strength is solid, like a foundation. Uncertainty is a balancing act waiting to tumble. Being solid in your foundations means that you are able to say what you feel and believe, and also that you’re strong enough at your core that admitting fault, wrongness, or even a need for help doesn’t crumble you internally. Being able to say that you appreciate someone’s views and being open to a change of mindset is strength. I got called a queer the other day by some tiny old man at the gas station. I laughed. It honestly was funny. This man, maybe 5’2 and 115 lbs looking up at me at 6’4’’ and 200lbs- I couldn’t help myself. I have the strength within me to not have to react to the situation and cause a scene. He probably thought that saying that was strength- but instead that is weakness. Like a wild animal that is dying, they are most fierce when they know defeat is coming. He probably felt strength in his demeaning manner but all I see is fear. Fear of a time when he peaked and was on top, and he didn’t have the strength to change and adapt and honestly I feel sorry for him.

I have met people who could throw me across a room but couldn’t express an idea or emotion who have built muscle as a wall to contain insecurity, and I’ve met people who can barley lift their groceries but could lift nations with their words and spirit.  I hope that my readers, clients, followers, friends, everyone- I hope that they see a strength in me and that it is contagious. Not only physically, yet mentally and emotionally. I like to share the good days and the bad and that takes strength. I see sharing both as a way for us to connect and relate, and to me that is the meaning of humanity. It takes strength to admit that you’re struggling and it takes strength to change. It takes strength to stand your ground, and takes strength to know when you’re wrong. It takes strength to be yourself, authentically, and to be so much yourself that others feel like they can be authentic too. This is what I hope to inspire, and I hope that everyone finds their strength. Be well, be strong.