Time

by Michaela Ortega

"There is no past, there is no future. Time is an illusion; life is an eternal present moment." – Don Miguel Ruiz

The concept of time is an illusion. Life is an eternal present moment.

All that we have is now. What happened in the past is done. It only exists in our minds. And what happens in the future, we will have only that idea in our minds.

No one knows how much time they have here. We all hope and assume a wonderful life in old age, but what about now. Because truly, and as cliché as it sounds, that is all that we’ve got. What’s happening now, and now, and now, isour life. What we experience today, in every facet, we will never get back.

I think about this often after a training session. In reflecting how the session went, I must realize, first and foremost, I will never get that practice time back. How I chose to use my time, mentally and physically, is done.

In my circumstance, when I walk into the gym each day, I have the choice of how I will use this time. Because once it’s done, I can’t go back and try and little harder or sharpen a skill a little bit more. What I can do is be present every day in my training time and focus my efforts where they need to be. As of late, my focus has been on perfect repetitions (or as close as I can get) in every movement I do. I don’t want any of my reps to go to waste. I’m channeling my inner Rich Froning. There’s a reason he is the best in the world. He is one of the most consistent CrossFit athletes there is. Snatch reps at 135 lbs. look the same as snatch reps at 275 lbs. His body works with consistency in nearly everything he does.

And just like I need to practice physically during training, I need to practice mentally as well. The body will follow the mind, so if the mind stays sharp, well, the body has no choice.

Many people think best in the shower, or before falling asleep. I do my best thinking amidst a hard workout. You want to get personal with yourself? Put your body in pain and see how you talk to yourself. Are you taking that opportunity to build yourself up, to keep your mind sharp, to talk to yourself positively? Or are you letting that easy, negative self-talk seep in?

My point is, you walk into wherever your passions lie, and you lay it on the table, every day. Because these days, as they pass, are your life.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because you don’t know if it will ever come. No one is guaranteed some mythical perfect moment; it’s just made up in your mind. Instead, sit down and write out goals you want to accomplish in your life that align with your values. Then get to work.

Bite the bullet. The time is now.