My strength trainer Jay smiled right at me. “Today we are going to do burpees!”
“UGH! I hate burpees” I stated loudly, to no one in the group’s surprise.
“And at the end of our workout, we have a bonus, and of course Steph will complain about it…”
I stood upright. “I complain?” I asked/challenged.
Jay responded, “You just did – you said you hate burpees! You complain a lot. You complain when we don’t do enough of something, you complain when we do too much. You complain when you are sooooo sore!”
Shocked, I paused. Did I complain a lot? It sure sounded like I complained a lot! I stopped talking and did my burpees. And then we finished with any extra set of 20 jump lunges. And as my legs burned, I gritted my teeth through my thoughts and the feeling in my quads.
I finished working out and left to drive home, still stunned by his comment.
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Jay said. I didn’t think I was the complaining type. I mean, after all, I am a COACH! I am full of POSTIVITY! I always help people reframe with a different perspective. How could I be that COMPLAINER?
After I pulled in the garage, I texted Jay. “Thank you for pointing out that I complain often. I truly wasn’t aware of it. I love working out with our group and look forward to it every week! I will be more conscious of what I say.”
To which he responded, “I enjoy having you and it’s not really a big deal but I want to make sure you get a great workout and that you enjoy what you are doing as well.”
This really made me think! If I complain, does that mean I do not enjoy working out? I realized that I do complain a lot when I exercise. But I love how it makes me feel. And I love the results. Maybe instead of complaining, I will thank my body. I will appreciate the effort while I am doing it. I will recognize my body for being able to move the way it does. The truth is, I am lucky it can! I am grateful I have the strength and the wellness to do so.
No more complaining!
To celebrate this epiphany, I am going to do 15 pushups every day for the month of February. And I will smile when I work out. Because I can.
The things you can learn from a burpee!
This post was written and published by Stephanie Tishler, CPC, a Career, Life, and Business Coach based in Glastonbury, CT. Read more from Stephanie’s blog here, or unlock your potential with 1:1 coaching services!
