The smells of perspiration and struggle are in the atmosphere. The sound of metal hitting metal fills the air, but if you listen closely enough, you can hear the exhaling breath of those pushing themselves to their limits. You can almost state the hard work and determination. As you scan the room, you notice that the people are as diverse as the animals that gather at the watering hole; all meeting at the same place, but each different with their own goal in mind. As you stick your earbuds in and the rhythmic beats start to play, your heart begins to race with the anticipation of what’s ahead of you. Will you be able to make it to the end, and push your body to work harder than it ever has before? Will you be able to focus on how your body feels and put aside any thoughts of giving up? When you walk into the gym, the possibilities of challenges you may face are endless.
To most people, the gym is a just a place to go to make yourself more physically fit; however, to me it isn’t just about becoming physically stronger, it’s also about strengthening your mind. Going to the gym tests your ability to overcome that voice in your head that tells you that you can’t do it, or you’re not good enough. This voice can be very powerful at times and can even start to trick your mind into believing everything it says. For me, this voice was a hazard and had the potential of being destructive. By telling me I wasn’t smart enough, I wasn’t pretty enough, I wasn’t strong enough, I wasn’t the best daughter or sister and I wasn’t the best friend of student I could be; this voice took control over how I thought and felt about myself.
When your mind is constantly running these thoughts through your head, you have no other choice but to start to believe them. The voice wasn’t there all the time, but it was always lurking in the shadows, creeping up as if my mind was easy prey to catch. For the longest time I allowed myself to listen to it and let it convince me that I wasn’t good enough. Failing to understand a lesson in school, not getting the best grade on a test, not eating healthy, finding clothes that no longer fit, and getting injured during my sports season; my mind took advantage of all these event and used them to prove that I was a failure. The gym gave me an opportunity to overcome this voice.
Lifting heavier weights, running more miles, making it through spin classes, trying new activities like yoga; these were all positive experiences that helped alter the distorted view I had of myself. Going to the gym not only helped me feel physically better, but it also helped to transform the voice in my head from a deceptive one to an uplifting one. Instead of thinking I couldn’t do anything right, I gained confidence in myself and began to believe that I could accomplish anything through hard work. When life brings on challenges, I am no longer afraid of them. but take them as opportunities to grow as a person. I don’t think I would have been able to make this transformation without the help of the gym. Working out and pushing yourself to limits you never imagined reaching allow you to realize that the voice in your head doesn’t determine who you are or what you can become. To me, the gym signifies overcoming obstacles – both physically and mentally.
-M. Becker