Let the Games Begin!

After work, I try to get to the gym occasionally.  The one bright light of this ambitious endeavor is that my son loves the daycare at the gym.  So when I ask, “Tyler, do you want to go the gym?” secretly hoping he will complain and want to go home, he enthusiastically shouts, “Yeah!  The gym!”  Never fails. 

While I’m dragging myself to the front door, he is bee bopping around, half running, half skipping.  We see the large motivational signs with gold letters that declare, “Change Your Body.  Change Your Life” or “The First Step is Being Here” at the entrance. 

My son has to ask, “What does that say?”  And I mumble, “Change Your Body.  Change Your Life.”  He gets excited, “Mom, ‘life’ is one of my high frequency words at school!”  He is way more eager for this excursion that I am. 

We enter Kid’s Club, and he quickly discards his coat in the bin, surveys the play area, spots his diehard friends and states loudly to anyone who will listen, “Let the Games Begin!” 

My son could be the poster child of Gold’s Gym.  The kids yell back, “Tyler’s here!”  He is literally a hero in the world of Kid’s Club and it dawns on me why he likes it so much.  Here, he is in charge.  He makes the games, referees the games, and gets to be the star.  He embodies each of the sayings on the posters, wall, floor, bathroom stall.  (Yes, the obnoxious signs are everywhere.)  “Dream Big.  Think Big.”  “Rise to the Top” “Never Give Up.”  “Go to the Edge.”  “Push Yourself.”

I marvel at how a six year old can personify these saying naturally, when we adults need an entire building of loud music, neon signs, personal trainers, workout videos, and a membership we pay for monthly to attempt to internalize the positive sayings.  And while these signs are motivational gimmicks, my son really means it.  “Let the games begin!” 

In many ways, life can be like this gym if we let it.  It can be so filled with external stimuli that it fails to be authentic and real.  We can lose the unction to shout to our friends a rallying cry of self-confidence and perseverance.  We weigh ourselves against other’s expectations to see if we measure up.  There are scales everywhere, in fact.  We get dizzy with the numbers and goals and BMIs to reach.  We try to stuff as many mantras, rules, regulations, and measurements into our lives to become better equipped that we forget the most important equipment – drive and instinct.    

My son came fully equipped for the gym.  All he had to do was lose the extra weight in his jacket.  I sign him in and sign him out and in that 45 minutes he is king of Kid’s Club.  But, he has the confidence and direction that the other kids adore.  He lives in the moment and relies on his instinct and drive. 

Instead of dragging through life, I want to “lose the weight” and be more like my energized trailblazer.  While I may not be quite as charismatic to be “king of Kid’s Club” I could definitely stand to lose a few of the regulations and self imposed doubts that weigh me down. 

So, say it with me.  Determine to “Let the Games Begin!”