TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
While driving today, I saw a billboard advertising the bluegrass band "Trampled by Turtles."
Aside from being a cool band from Minnesota, it brought to mind how we often find ourselves in that precise quagmire; being trampled by a wild stampede of tortoises. More simply, "How often do you find yourself procrastinating and not doing what you know you need to do?" Yet, when the poop hits the fan we always find ourselves surprised by it somehow.
In my own training, I know I need to practice what I’m most uncomfortable doing. Yet somehow I settle back into where I’m comfortable, focusing on those things I do well at. I played lacrosse growing up, and with my strong hand I was really good. I had a friend who spent all his free time working on his weak side, while I remained self conscious throwing or catching left-handed. Within a year my buddy was starting on the 8th grade team, while I was a fixture on the bench. The writing was on the wall, for what I needed to do. I was so upset at my lack of playing time, but the reality is I’d had all the time in the world to prepare, before that starting lineup was posted. However, I was surprised to I find myself trampled by turtles. It seemed so sudden, but the reality was this particular failure was a year in the making.
I know a guy who was a very talented MMA fighter. His wrestling was fantastic and he knocked guys out at will on the regional circuit. All his coaches told him to focus on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, at the very least to be able to defend against it. But the fighter knew better and missed virtually every grappling training session. Of course it was a genuine surprise to him when he was choked and forced to submit. Again, trampled by turtles. The writing was on the wall long before the event had ever begun.
We all run into some sort of resistance, while training for whatever it is we’re striving for. I knew I should put in road work before the "Tough Mudder" but kept opting for crossfit-style workouts. Every day for months, I thought to myself "I really should be putting in some miles running." However, by the time race day arrived I had run a grand total of zero miles. None. Words can’t describe the pain my hip flexors and knees felt on the course and for days after. I, too, was trampled by turtles.
This can be said for people who stay in bad relationships, in bad work environments, or don’t file their taxes, run up credit card debt, or have all semester for a college project and don’t get going until the final day. We all get trampled by turtles and in the process, it can make for a lot for drama. We feel like victims, that the universe is against us, always somehow sending us for a loop. However, with some genuine reflection, we’ll likely see the writing was on the wall. And probably for far longer than we’d care to admit.
Everyone always tells you "go with your heart." Even scarier: “Listen to that little voice in your head, it knows what to do.” That's like taking advice from a deranged madman! Intuition resides in your gut. After something bad happens, you’ll say "I knew in my gut it was a bad decision." You have to get in tune with your belly; shut down the chatter and noise, to get in tune with the divine. And that divine intuition lives in your gut.
We all know what needs to be done; what's important to do. Then we somehow find urgent things to do in place of doing what’s important. What's important should always come before what's urgent. What's urgent changes from day to day, it’s emotional and reactive. What's important is based on your goals. What's important moves you forward! What’s urgent is generally caused by not doing what was important in the first place! (for more on this read: "The War of Art by Steven Pressfield)
The point here is this: Take care of what's important every day. If you are a part of this "Performance Breathing" community it means you are motivated and concerned with optimal performance. You have goals! You know where you want to go–and if you don’t, then get clear on what it is you want to accomplish. If it’s a bodybuilding competition, don’t ignore your legs because it’s a weak spot. If it’s yoga practice, do the balancing poses you always fall down at. If you’re a manager, work on the things that you know are going to be problematic. If you're a basketball player work on your moves with your weak hand. Embrace your weaknesses and put the things that make you uncomfortable first. The average person improves their strengths; the optimal individual is fearless in adding to what’s missing in their arsenal. My dad always told me "If your plan in life is to be average, you will always have a lot of competition.”
Don’t get trampled by turtles!
meditate on that