I think that over time we attach meaning to things but don't often ask why something means a lot, we just know that it does. Over the course of my life I'm guilty of not letting myself get attached to things that I should because I've lived by the code that "everything is for sale." However, there are some things that have managed to get into my very exclusive "not for sale" category.
I regret that there is a belt out there that was mine for many, many years and I let a friend hold it and he lost it in a move. I can't be too mad-I should've never let him borrow something so sacred anyway. However, one man's sacred is another man's optional-never forget that. What matters the most to you, might not mean anything to someone else and that's okay. We all have our loves and likes and there are times when we have to accept that something is just valuable to you and that's it.
Which brings me to the subject of this post. You see this beautiful thing here? This belt means everything to me. It's my "thing." I bought this belt a few years ago when I deep in the trenches of strongman training and knew that the belt I had trained with previously (a modest 4" belt for use in powerlifting competitions) would not do for the future. This belt is a Toro belt. It cost a lot of money to get one big enough to fit me and in case you didn't notice, it has my blog on it. Am I vain? Am I seeking attention? Am I just full of myself?
No, to all three.
See when I was training hard like this, especially on deadlift days, I always had an audience at my old gym. Especially when I doing partials for 800-900 pounds, people would crowd around to watch and in those deadly moments, I'm not one for conversation. However, I figured if someone saw the logo on my belt, they might punch it in and check out the blog and maybe make a connection. I'm probably the worst and most infrequent blogger of all time, but all I've ever wanted to do was convey to people that their dreams are valid and they should always dream bigger.
Everyone gimmicks up a t-shirt, but not a lot of people gimmick up their $150 belt!
I think it's kinda cool too, let's be honest, but it's more than just a promotional tool. It represents 3 hernias, a torn abdominal wall, a million back aches, hurt knees, broken dreams and a lifetime of swallowing my pride at the mercy of an Olympic bar in a sweaty room full of strangers. This belt might not have been given to me by a judge or a promoter, but life saw fit to let me have this testament to my endurance, and it most assuredly is not for sale.
Life doesn't always hand out awards for what we do, sometimes we have to recognize it ourselves. More often than not, we're the only ones looking. Did you set a goal and achieve it? Did you get close, even? Recognize what you've done. Take pride in your efforts. They belong to you anyway. Don't look to the world at-large to say "good job" look in the mirror and hold your head up high.
Believe in those dreams if nothing else, keep on believing and even if you don't make it, you'll make progress. I know you can-I believe in you!
I regret that there is a belt out there that was mine for many, many years and I let a friend hold it and he lost it in a move. I can't be too mad-I should've never let him borrow something so sacred anyway. However, one man's sacred is another man's optional-never forget that. What matters the most to you, might not mean anything to someone else and that's okay. We all have our loves and likes and there are times when we have to accept that something is just valuable to you and that's it.
Which brings me to the subject of this post. You see this beautiful thing here? This belt means everything to me. It's my "thing." I bought this belt a few years ago when I deep in the trenches of strongman training and knew that the belt I had trained with previously (a modest 4" belt for use in powerlifting competitions) would not do for the future. This belt is a Toro belt. It cost a lot of money to get one big enough to fit me and in case you didn't notice, it has my blog on it. Am I vain? Am I seeking attention? Am I just full of myself?No, to all three.
See when I was training hard like this, especially on deadlift days, I always had an audience at my old gym. Especially when I doing partials for 800-900 pounds, people would crowd around to watch and in those deadly moments, I'm not one for conversation. However, I figured if someone saw the logo on my belt, they might punch it in and check out the blog and maybe make a connection. I'm probably the worst and most infrequent blogger of all time, but all I've ever wanted to do was convey to people that their dreams are valid and they should always dream bigger.
Everyone gimmicks up a t-shirt, but not a lot of people gimmick up their $150 belt!
I think it's kinda cool too, let's be honest, but it's more than just a promotional tool. It represents 3 hernias, a torn abdominal wall, a million back aches, hurt knees, broken dreams and a lifetime of swallowing my pride at the mercy of an Olympic bar in a sweaty room full of strangers. This belt might not have been given to me by a judge or a promoter, but life saw fit to let me have this testament to my endurance, and it most assuredly is not for sale.
Life doesn't always hand out awards for what we do, sometimes we have to recognize it ourselves. More often than not, we're the only ones looking. Did you set a goal and achieve it? Did you get close, even? Recognize what you've done. Take pride in your efforts. They belong to you anyway. Don't look to the world at-large to say "good job" look in the mirror and hold your head up high.
Believe in those dreams if nothing else, keep on believing and even if you don't make it, you'll make progress. I know you can-I believe in you!
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