Inspiration

It's amazing that there is so much inspiration everywhere you look.  This weekend I listened to Dr. Laura's radio talk show and she talked about how to find inspiration and let that be the fuel for the "grit" that get's you through life.  Then I watched "Invictus" and was awestruck at how Nelson Mandela brought a country together.
No matter your goals, surviving cancer, getting through depression, finding the drive to get up everyday and face work and your family, lose weight, live with chronic illness and pain - the stumbling blocks and emotions that get in our way are the same regardless of the struggle. 
Sadness is sadness no matter the cause.  Even though society puts more "value" on life threatening illness over everyday struggles, the emotions that hold us back are the same - and so is the cure.
Our job as human beings is to find inspiration and attack life and relationships with everything we've got to give every day.  And when we fail at that assignment, we don't beat ourselves up - we recover and go at it again.
Inspriation and grit are the 2 ingredients to a life full of experience, fulfillment, value, accomplishement, and relationships. In Zumba Beto Perez teaches us that you have nothing without Passion and Perseverance.  No matter what you name it, the result is the same.  We must find something in life to focus on to help inspire us - keep our passion burning.  And we must have "grit" to persevere regardless of what we FEEL like we want - we must keep on.
We make our own lives and our own happiness.  If you wait for inspiration or until you FEEL like it - you'll never reach your goal.  You must create your own inspiration and feed your passion with what you find in everyday life.  For those days you don't feel inspired, then that's when "grit" and perseverance come in.
For Nelson Mandela he found inspiration in a poem to get him through his days - years in prison.  The poem is called "Invictus" and in the movie by the same name President Mandela said that the poem "Invictus" .."Helped me to stand when all I wanted to do was lay down.".  This was so meaningful for me.  For me that was Zumba, Zumba helps me to stand when (the pain gets so bad) all I want to do is lay down.  However, inspiration is funny - it doesn't always work, it isn't always with you - that's when we perservere.
What is your inspiration?  What are you trying to accomplish?
I happen to have a long list.  I have goals as a Zumba professional and educator and as a fitness professional.  I also have goals as a friend and wife.  And, the topic of this blog is my personal fitness goals. 
I've lost 45lbs.  My goal is 55lbs.   I've gone from a 12+ to a 4-6.  And I want to increase my lean muscle mass and have killer arms, abs, and legs.  So, despite the pain we do what we need to do.
Monday was my first day back to my fitness regimen after a day off on Sunday:
2 mile walk 1:00 pm
Pull ups, Chest Press, Bicep Curls, Tricep Push Downs, Upright Rows 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Zumba Toning 7:10 pm - 8:10 pm
Walk the track and talk with a friend and do 4  - 1/2 track laps of lunges 8:20 pm - 9:00 pm.

Today -Tuesday - Recovery:
1.5 mile walk
15 push ups - 5 at a time in between emails throughout the day (the best way to train - a bit at a time).

See you tomorrow!
Invitus:
by William Ernest Henley:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.