My mind and heart have been humming lately. It may be because of a number of things, it may be because I recently participated in an event that has shaken me and opened my mind in a way that I have not been able to for some time. A concept I have been wrestling with lately is the idea of Responsibility.
Now let me define what I mean. I am speaking less about the responsibility that my kids have to clean their room, (which rarely happens), and more about a deeper responsibility we have as humans... to each other.
Think about this for a moment. What does responsibility to each other mean to you? As a parent you can approach it with direct emotional feeling. You are responsible for making sure your kids have food, shelter and a happy life. As a friend I can be responsible for making sure that I am available physically and emotionally to my amigos during troubling times.
But what about your responsibility to say, the neighbor up the street? An orphan in Somalia? A ice cream shop owner in Illinois? These are examples of souls that walk around and exist on this planet at the same time as yourself, yet you live in complete disconnect to them 99.9% of your life.
The only way that you ever hear about or experience them is by being Witness. You see them on the news, you see them broke down on the side of the road, you read about them in the paper. Witnessing is how we humans separate ourselves from empathy and compassion. Witnessing IS Powerlessness!
Active Participation is True Responsibility! But how can you actively participate in the lives of those who you cannot see, touch or many times comprehend of?
The answer is rooted in the same idealistic values you held as a young adult when you wanted to SAVE THE WORLD!!! Awareness, Consciousness, Action, Education! The idea of, 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind" is devicive and has separated us as humans. This is especially true in the United States as we lose our social bonds of community and shared experience.
This past weekend I ran the Worlds Toughest Race in Las Vegas. During this race Responsibility was displayed in a few different ways. There was the responsibility you have to run and not endanger or cheat anyone out of their race. There was the responsibility to help and aid other racers over the obstacles. And then there was the deeper responsibility that was harder for most, that was to ask about the other racers stories, and motivations. All are essential and as you delve deeper into the participation in others experience, you were left with a greater feeling of responsibility for others success; a greater connection!
The Paradox is in the; Witnessing VS. Participating. Powerless VS. Powerful.
True Responsibility is revolutionary in the way we develop real connection with each other. A way long forgotten from the times when we relied on each other for solidarity in the human experience. I say do not be powerless anymore, reach out and act! Even if the action is just contemplating and being conscious of something greater than yourself.
The recent election has brought many to a point where they feel powerless. Their candidate may have not won and hope may seem to be fading. I say that this is the perfect time to participate, to take responsibility for each other and you will find amazing power in sharing, listening, and acting!
Now I know this post may be on the philosophical side and I am digging deep into my scattered thinking to try and write a coherent and linear piece of thinking but I want you to jump in with me! Follow yourself down the rabbit hole and re-define what you think Responsibility to one another should be. We are all in this together, use the Gym, your book club, your running club as a first step. Introduce yourself to someone you don't know, learn about others you don't interact with, find out what it means to be truly human. Do this and we will lead the way to a promising future.
Baseline:
Agility Warm up
8X Agility Ladder (Linear and Lateral steps) (fast footwork)
10@ Each
High Knee Pulls
Quad Pulls
Elbow To Instep
InchWorm
Air Squats
Lunges
Tuck Jumps
Surfer Burpees
Hip Circles
Arm Circles
Back Squat
10-5-10-5
*use something like 65%-80%-70%-85%
WOD:
3X
Run 1 Mile
35 Cals on Assault Bike
Rest 5 Minutes between Rounds.
