Inspire My Awesome

I keep a list of quotes I’ve heard. Some of them I put in my Inspire My Awesome app so they pop up from time to time, and others are just on this list that I revisit. It’s funny to me, though, how at just the right time one of those quotes will present itself because it’s what I need to help me break through a barrier.

The barrier might be a bad mood, the barrier might be self-doubt, or the barrier might be fear, but for some mystical reason the universe knows just what I need. It makes me revisit my thoughts, suddenly things are a little bit clearer, and I can move forward.

Save That Quote

One of the quotes that just resonated with me recently was from Rick Rubin, “Looking back with regret is a young man’s game.”

I can’t remember what podcast he said it on, I think it was from “Broken Record” when he was talking to Brandi Carlile and Tanya Tucker, but at the time I heard it I thought, “That’s a cool quote,” and I saved it. It became tucked away on my list.

Lately I’ve been in that regret trap of looking back at “could’ve beens.” I think it’s because of the change to a new year and reflecting on the past. The two “could’ve beens” at the top of the list were my old website, “Entertainment Ave!”, and “The Entertainment Ave! Podcast” I used to record. I was reflecting back on how much I enjoyed both of them and how, at the time, they were cutting edge as I started Entertainment Ave! back in 1996 and the first podcast was back sometime in 2006.

While I still putz around with Entertainment Ave!, the podcast is long gone. Back in those old days the website was just starting to gain traction as the place for entertainment reviews. The podcast, while it had no traction, was at such an early stage most no one knew what a podcast was so its possibilities were limitless. The regret comes around when I think how “cutting edge” they were at the time, and if I had just put a little bit more effort they might have had the chance to “become something” as one might say.

No Effort

The thing is that I didn’t put in the effort, and I know it. That is what I was regretting and letting get me down. And then Rick Rubin’s quote decided it should show itself again, popping up on my app just in time to reset my attitude.

“Looking back with regret is a young man’s game.”

While I’m not an old man, I’m not a young man either, and thanks to that quote I have been able to change the regret thoughts back to the thoughts they need to be, “That’s the past. You can’t change it. Learn. Move forward. Live.”

If you are young and reading this, go ahead and let a regret super-charge you to your next level. You still have a chance to let the few regrets you might have help you redirect your path. If you are not young and reading this you don’t have time for regrets any longer, you just have time to live.

Don’t let today be another regret. Move forward. Live.

Thanks for stopping by! Keeping being awesome and inspired!

Now, back a few weeks ago, I wrote about my newfound like, I hesitate to call it “love,” of exercise. At that time things were mostly on our treadmill using the Peloton digital service (find me as “InspireMyAwesom”). Things were going well, I was fairly content with the service, but I believe the folks at Peloton must put some kind of subliminal message in their video stream because ever so slowly all I could think about was their bike.

As I began to obsess my wife did one of the things she does best and gave that last nudge to make the purchase. The bike arrived in early December, and I was hooked. As December continued I felt bad for the Peloton instructors who did treadmill classes because I basically deserted Rebecca, Selena, and Matty for Emma, Sam, Kendall, and Alex on the bike.

Perfect Activity Month

As December was coming to a close, and it was the proverbial time of year to make a challenge for yourself, I decided that for the month of January I wanted to get a “perfect activity month” on my iPhone. If I were to just do one Peloton class every day, during January, I should have no problem closing both my “Exercise” and “Move” rings, and the “Stand” ring should easily follow.

Easy-peasy!

Then came the past weekend.

All was going great. I was through ten days, pushing harder than I thought I would, and figured I should take some recovery rides over the weekend. Sure, I could have pulled up one of the older “Low Impact” rides, or I could take a live class called a “45 Minute Sweat Steady Ride” with Jess King and just take it easy.

I opted for the live class, and therein was my problem.

The Ride Kicked My Ass

While my body said I should take it easy, my mind got sucked right into the class. I started peddling harder and harder, and I ended up getting a personal record for a 45 minute class. I kicked ass, and then the ride kicked my ass.

Nope, I didn’t listen to myself, I didn’t take it easy, and my left hip started hurting, my legs were super-sore, and all I worried about now was would I be able to exercise on Sunday.

Hobbling around the rest of Saturday I tried to stretch my legs, put on some gel that was supposed to ease the pain, and popped an Aleve. My January challenge had the potential to be derailed.

Bedtime came, I rolled into bed, let the heated blanket do some work, and surprisingly felt better on Sunday.

Just Ride

What to do? I know, a “Low Impact” ride with Alex Toussaint.

Now, I have come to like rides with Alex leading the way, but I have to say that there is nothing “Low Impact” about Alex. His energy is infectious, all you really want to do when taking his class is go faster, but thankfully, in between his encouragement to push it a little harder, he kept reminding those, like me, who needed to take it easy, that, well, we should take it easy.

As hard as it was to settle in and just ride, I did just that.

I had my second-lowest, 30 minute output during a ride since we got the bike, and it was just what my body needed.

My hip loosened up, my muscles got their life back, and thanks to fighting that urge to keep pushing it, which was really hard to do with Alex as the instructor, Monday morning came, and I was refreshed.

The lesson through all of this? Sometimes taking it slow is really the way to go. Outside sources might be urging you to push it a little harder, but in the end you should stick to your plan. My plan on Saturday was to take things easy, and I didn’t. It almost cost me. Thankfully I’m back on track for my perfect activity January, 13 days down, and 18 more to go!

Thanks for stopping by! Keep being awesome and inspired!