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Sara - after a few attempts she finally sticks the landing on top of a 3' tall box.

Life is all about how you handle Plan B.

You know, the one where everything works out to be happily ever after.

But more often than not, I find myself dealing with the upside-down, inside-out version

where nothing goes as it should.

 This is where our daily training comes in. Boot camp does a lot more for us as individuals than just strengthen our bodies – it gives us an inner fortitude and strength that we can reach for when times get tough or when we are feeling down. When you push yourself in your workouts there is just no room left for lingering negative thoughts. These breaks of clarity can really help with the stress and anxiety that accompanies life’s ups and downs.

There are 3 directions that you can go from here.

1. Backwards. You can continue to do nothing to strengthen yourself, nothing to flex your determination, and watch as not just your body erodes but also the essential pieces of your inner self (namely your confidence, self esteem and sense of self worth) begin to flake off month by month and eventually break off in larger pieces. This path requires the least amount of exertion on your part, but it is by far the most painful. No matter what facade you put on it, there is a creeping pain that sets in when you turn your back so completely on your true potential in life. No matter how hard we try and ignore it mentally by distracting ourselves, or layer it over to insulate this deeply seeded pain, it becomes often so tender that people find themselves desperate to rid themselves of it.

2. Just holding on. You can hold your ground and for every step forward you usually take one back and vice versa. You are in that “safe zone” that we like to refer to as “normal” or “average”. You train sporadically, always seem to have an extra 5-10 pounds to lose, are always on “the verge” of realizing your higher potential, but seem to quit every time you see the faint outline of the changes you desire in yourself starting to take shape in the bathroom mirror. You have repeated this cycle so often that it has become a familiar dance, and you are beginning to harbour secret doubts that you might never achieve the breakthrough that you have been holding yourself back from for so long now. It’s frustrating and can be painful in it’s own right, but what do you really have to complain about – you are “normal” right? It’s too bad that you can’t shake that deep feeling that something is missing, and something wonderful is just beyond your grasp…

3. You train like a warrior – discipline is a constant choice, and sometimes it can be a fierce struggle, but this, just like the muscles in your body is becoming honed with repeated use. You get knocked down and back, but you always rise up and pick up the challenge. Completing your boot camp workout is a practice that represents so much more to you than just exercise. You can feel that “beating your personal best” has started to apply to all the areas of your life that were previously lacking energy and commitment. The effort, perseverance and strength that you have been developing in your workouts flow with growing intensity into your sense of self worth and it doesn’t stop there. You are more nimble at work and everything from your relationships to the farthest touch points of your life feel infused with greater potential.When you are living your life and you know that you are giving the pursuit of your dreams your max effort, there comes a profound sense of fulfilment that nourishes you in a way that makes life feel grand. It’s not about a dress size or a number on a scale – it’s about training for a life well lived.