How strong are you?

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength"

- Oprah Winfrey

For the new year one of my goals (I won't call them resolutions as they don't tend to last) is to get in better shape. It was something I had been thinking about back towards the end of 2013. So, in preparation, I joined the gym back in October. Now for those of you who are gym addicts my hat goes off to you. Sometimes it can be really hard to find the motivation to go, but for those of you starting back at the gym, the more I am going the better I'm getting at wanting to go. So much so that now I'm there pretty much every day, and feeling that much better for it too. It's ok, don't panic, I won't be rivalling Arnold Schwarzenegger any time soon.

Even with the weather being as bad as it is, it's not really an excuse not to go. In fact it's one of the only places you can go in weather like this. Today was no different. Roll out of bed, get dressed and head on over to the gym. I'm always amazed at the variety of people that you find in the gym. Those people who are just cyclers or runners, staying on the treadmills and bikes, those who are focussing on their fitness and then, of course, those who love the weights.The weights area has never really been an area I have felt drawn to personally, but I've made it my goal to use the area more. And so far....so good.

Now those of you that know me will know I'm not exactly Mr Muscle (although that is improving). I've always dreaded going over to the weights area because there were always people so much bigger than me there. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels a little bit awkward trying to lift a small weight when Bob next to me lifts weights the equivalent to two small elephants and a family saloon with his little finger. Slightly off putting. But the more that I have used the gym, the more I've come to realise what a variety and range of people use it. There's not one particular type of person that stands out, and no-one is really out of place there. Sure, there are those that are massive and clearly work hard in the weights area, but there are also those, like me, who are just there to try and gain a little bit more muscle so that we don't slip down the plug hole whilst in the shower.

It's quite easy to look at people in the gym and quickly measure their strength by judging their outward appearance. To judge those who use the weights and those who don't. Maybe its the size of their arms, or their chest that tell us how strong someone is? There are a good few in my local gym who could, quite literally, pick up a house quite easily without breaking a sweat. Surely it is these people that are the strongest ones? Right? Well, not necessarily!

For christmas a good friend of mine bought me Gary Barlow's new album. I have to admit I am a bit of a fan. He is a musical genius! Can't help but like his music. Anyway, I digress. There's one track on his album in particular which has been stuck in my head. It's called 'Face to Face' and I've linked the video at the start of the blog.

As I listened to this track today, a line from the song really stood out and it's this;

"You can measure the strength of a human, by the weight of the love that surrounds them."

And so I end with this thought.

In life it is easy for us to judge people on the outward appearance. Rich, poor, tall short, strong, weak etc. Just like being in the gym. It can be easy to look around and pick out those people who we might consider to be the strongest just by judging the outward appearance. But the truth is that Physical strength isn't the only thing that makes a person strong. Strength comes in many different forms and physical strength is just one of them.

A new year is a time to identify how you can be a better person but before you can do that you have to identify what your strengths are already. All of us are strong in some way be it emotionally, physically, psychologically etc. The question you have to ask yourself is what makes you strong?

As we continue on the 3rd day of the new year ask yourself, "What it is that makes me strong?", then work out how you can make that strength even stronger. You don't measure the strength of a person solely by the weight of the metal they can lift in a gym, but you measure true strength "by the weight of the love that surrounds them".

As we continue to work out in the gym we call life remember - You are strong, sometimes you just don't realise it.


Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd!

Ryan :)