Working
Mark Twain once said that the only thing a man could stand to do for eight hours a day is work. While on vacation, I would have argued with him, but now that I’ve once again pulled on the harness, I see that Mr. Twain was a very perceptive individual. On vacation, I did things in 2 hour stretches. After that, I’d start to get itchy, and begin looking around for something else to do. At work, however, I have absolutely no problem sitting down and losing myself in a research project for hours on end.
Why is this so? What is it about work that motivates and drives us so? Is it the sense of accomplishment we get from doing our jobs? Or is it something else; something deeper? I like to think that the same motivators that drive us at work are the things that drive us to become bodybuilders. When I’m in the gym, and start lifting, I enter a zone. I lose all sense of place and time. I even begin to gray out the other bodybuilders around me. There is only me and the weight. There is only my desire to perform that last rep with perfect form. There is only the desire to push my body to the limit - to squeeze out that last pushup, knowing - just knowing - that that is the exercise that will give you the pecs you’ve always dreamed of. Even your failures motivate you. I get pissed when I fail. It only fuels my desire to get back into the gym and show those weights who’s boss. I know that, sooner or later, I’m going to succeed. I know that I’m going to be able to do those reps; that I’m going to be able to lift that weight. And I also know that there will be another, heavier weight for me to conquer.
Excuse me, but I’ve got to go to work.
