Understanding and Toughness... There is a Connection

You know, I've been thinking about this for some time now. We as athletes tend do be naturally, tough, tenacious, hard headed, determined, focused, driven.. you know the bill.. and beyond that, as athletes, we admire these qualities in ourselves and others. After all, they rock, if I do say so myself.

Though when it comes to relationships, intimacy, and connection, these matters take on a certain quality that can, on the surface, seem to come into stark contrast with our all too glamourous "toughness". The art of slowing down, the art of attending to, the art of having patience with, actually seeing and understanding another, all can certainly strike a chord of anxiety in someone who is drive to go and achieve. But personally, I think these qualities serve only to compliment our tenacity and toughness.

Quite frankly speaking, when we train, isn't rest and recovery just as important as our training itself? Don't we need to give our bodies the time it needs to repair and heal, and adapt to the stress that we have put it through? As an athlete myself I know all too well how difficult this can be at times, but I also know, that without it, our performance will suffer, we will be more prone to injury and ultimately put our athleticism at risk. And I know not a one of you wants that. =]

So, when we take time to recover, and truly recover, and we practice slowing down, tending to our bodies and listening to what we need, we are in essence, beginning to hone the skills that our relationships need as well. Relationships take tenderness and understanding. They take a willingness to step outside of our own perspective and see the other person's point of view. They take an honest assessment of ourselves and what we truly have to give to see the relationship succeed. These things are hard to do when we are going 100 miles an hour in "achievement" mode. But they are possible when we slow down turn inward and honestly evaluate our own emotional experiences, and they are also possible when we slow down, pause, look deeply into the eyes of the person we are sharing our life with and do our best to honestly see, hear and understand them and what they need on an emotional level.

After all, in the end, we can't take the medals, awards or money for that matter, with us. We can't take our loved ones with us either, but to be able to rest knowing that we have done our best to do good by the one's we have share our lives with? Is't that what it's all about?

Peace my friends,

Heidi

the pic on this page captures my point here exactly.. enjoy.. http://www.anthonymillerphotography.com/2011/02/understanding/