Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. If you’ve been a reader for any length of time, (thank you) you know that I’m a big proponent of challenging endeavors. Today I want to share my thoughts on the value of those endeavors and the necessary balance that we should gravitate towards.
I think there is value in doing difficult things above and beyond the obvious intrinsic rewards. Whether it is learning a new skill, competing in a race or grappling event, or finishing a project at work, when we challenge ourselves we grow as humans. Challenging endeavors offer us the chance to grow our skill set, learn about ourselves, and foster a resilience that carries over to other endeavors.
COVID-19 obviously presents its own unique set of challenges, that give us an opportunity to grow. For me personally, I have been driven towards pursuits in self sufficiency. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about wrestling and Jiu Jitsu, is the sense of calm I have in most everyday encounters because of the confidence in my training. I don’t see a downside to that kind of training, or that kind of self assuredness. But, what about other forms of self sufficiency?
Jiu Jitsu is it’s own form of magic, but it isn’t going to feed my family of four the way say, gardening, hunting, or fishing would. These endeavors meet all of the criteria we have discussed; difficult, check, value in self sufficiency, you bet, learn something about your self, absolutely. So where is the down side? Here is where the balance comes in to play.
As we continue through week fifty-leven of lockdown, the economy, especially small businesses are hurting. Small business is a term that can be glossed over more easily than say “mom and pop”. Mom and pop, families, are the ones that are hurting. Unfortunately, many endeavors of self sufficiency are a zero sum game. In other words, if I’m providing veggies for my family in a back yard garden, that’s one less purchase at the farmers market.
Any sort of DIY trade work falls into this category as well. Plumbing, flooring, electric, HVAC, landscaping, the list goes on. Most trade work is either done by Mom and Pop companies, or the craftsman themselves are working class bread winners for a larger company. There is value in any difficult DIY project, above and beyond the finished product, but there is a balance to be found in how far we lean in to total self sufficiency and isolation.
I don’t know what the answer is, or where the right balance lies. That’s the tricky thing about balance right, it’s not a fixed point. If you’ve ever walked on balance beam or even just an elevated curb, you need to adjust with every step forward. Self sufficiency and supporting local businesses and trades are not mutually exclusive, but it is a precarious relationship that needs constant balancing. I think COVID-19 has shown us the value in being more self sufficient when things go awry. It has also shown us how much we miss all those mom and pop establishments when they are taken away from us. A lot will change as we make our way through this global challenge into a new normal. Walking the path to serenity requires determining value and constantly seeking balance.
Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.
This week’s SerenityThroughSweat, a few simple and sinister kettlebell sessions and a stroller run with El Duderino. The cumulative sleep debt staying up with speedy is starting to take its toll, but I always feel better after a good sweat.