My youngest daughter is an excellent gymnast.
I can’t remember a time when she didn’t spend almost every spare moment practicing and perfecting her skills and routines.
She is completely self-motivated.
Determinedly persistent.
Inspiringly thrilling to watch.
She does not get this from me.
People comment on how talented she is all the time.
I suppose she must possess some innate talent.
But this kids’ accomplishments are a result of thousands of hours of repetition, review and more repetition and review.
When she was eight, she wanted to master a pressed handstand.
She found a tutorial on youtube, and followed it daily for over a year.
No one even knew about this until she asked me to spot her.
She’s still working it, and she’s almost got it.
Three years on one move.
And in the process, she’s mastered many other difficult moves.
When she’s not practicing gymnastics, she often hangs out with her mama.
We bake, snuggle, read, talk nonstop, and get active together.
It’s always purposeful for her.
When we jog, she gives me tips to improve my stride.
When we swim laps she teaches me how to get more power in my stroke.
I don’t even know where she learns it from – but I do know that she takes every suggestion from any coach seriously.
And then she passes it on to me 🙂
A week ago, I invited her to do abs with me every night.
She of course is way ahead of me, with her rock hard little body, so she gets to be the coach.
After 3 of our proposed 5 sets I was dying.
I thought it was perfectly acceptable to stop at 3 on the first night and build up slowly.
(Like I said, she doesn’t get her determination from me)
Not my Eden.
“Get up”, she said flatly.
“You don’t get what you wish for.
You get what you work for.”
Seriously.
This from a ten year old.
Her room is filled with motivational sayings like this – all over her walls and even on her ceilings.
She finds them or she makes them up.
I thought about how so many adults talk about how one day we’ll get in shape.
We dream about it, plan for it, visualize it.
Wish for it.
And we don’t get it.
My ten year old knows that the only way we’re going to get in shape is if we get up from the dreamy couch and get onto our mat/treadmill/bike/weights and work to get in shape.
Law of Attraction aside,
my baby is here to tell you that, at least when it comes to our bodies,
(and maybe many more other things than I care to admit)
You don’t get what you wish for.
You get what you work for.
I’ve had a few queries about my upcoming class on becoming a regular exerciser.
I’m still planning the details, so if you have a specific time or day that works best for you, let me know and I’ll do my best to make it happen for you.
It’s going to be 4 weeks and will cost $99.
If you’re ready to work for it, this is the class for you.