Don’t believe everything you THINK…

In his book “Pocket Peace”, Allan Lokos writes: “Don`t believe everything you think.  Thoughts are just that – thoughts.”  How true…

If I had believed my thoughts about hosting an online Winter Challenge, I would never have posted the invite on Friday.  Because during these last few days, especially, my thoughts have ranged from “no one would be willing to do a virtual Fitness Challenge” to “what the heck, three`s a crowd when it comes to working out…let’s do it anyway!”

So yes, I went through with the crazy idea, trusting God, my family`s affirmations, myself, my members and my gut feeling  – and here we are, only two days later, and exactly 40 people have already signed up for our Zoom-for-Zest-9-week-Winter Challenge which kicks off tomorrow.  Suddenly I am walking with a lighter tread, a clearer head, and a much more motivated mind and as Lizelle called it, “a little bit of sensibility and order during this chaotic time.”

“Don’t believe everything you think?” Hah, it’s actually so ironic…More than 10 weeks ago, we were urged by our President, the media and the WHO not to believe everything we HEAR.  They urged us not to fall prey to fake news and to stay home.

  And then, last week, economist Mike Schussler tweeted these interesting, true words: “If the TV news had never told you to be afraid of this virus, you wouldn’t have.  You’d never have given it a thought, you’d have gone about your life as usual along with everyone else.  You’d likely have never known there was a virus at all, would’ve thought this was just another typical flu season.  So, remember that all your fear and panic existed because you were TOLD to live in fear and panic…”

Yes, that’s the thing, today, on this 66^th day of lockdown in South Africa, we can’t help but wonder – Were we fools to believe everything we heard?  And were we lied to all this time while we were staying at home, washing our hands, missing our friends, doing the dishes, paying a fortune for pineapples, smiling and saying hello to everyone behind our masks and of course not knowing if they smiled back and working out on Zoom?

Were we lied to?  Who knows?  What we DO know is that this virus is far less deadly than originally thought.  The number of deaths has been a mere fraction of those predicted.  Recoveries currently outnumber deaths by 7 to 1…Those are the facts.

Three days ago, The hard-hitting Editor-In-Chief of Rapport Waldimar Pelser said: “I predict that by next week the lockdown will only exist in the minds of the president and the members of the Command Council while most of South Africa will start living their lives again…”

Most of South Africa, but, alas, NOT smokers, surfers, hairdressers, beauty therapists and gym-goers…And this is exactly why I am launching a Winter Challenge.  I won’t rant and protest with the angry anti-lockdown group from Johannesburg that these draconian, ridiculous shutdown measures should end.  I won’t join songwriter, Fiona Apple, when she rocks it out: “Fetch the bolt cutters/ I’ve been in here too long…” 

And, as much as I would like to tell Covid-19, like Bronwyn from Facebook, straight to its face: “’Rona, you have honestly been the longest anything made in China has ever lasted, but it’s about time you broke so we can pack you back in the toy cupboard and forget you ever lasted…”, I won`t.

But I CAN control my thoughts and remind myself not to believe everything I think during these uncertain times.  This lockdown does not have to control us – what we continue to believe about it, will. As Ernest Yeboah once said: “From dawn to the time you retire, your mind can be a very good friend to you, but it can also be your worst friend. What goes into your mind each day becomes your friend… so mind your mind!”

I CAN host a Winter Challenge, and I am going to, and we are going to rock!  We are making history – for the first time we have Challenge members from Johannesburg, Carolina, Carnarvon in the Northern Cape and even a participant from Botswana!  As I were meeting up with some of them during our Zoom workouts the past few weeks, I have felt this tremendous sense of pride, welcoming them into our special workout environment.

On Friday morning, as I was packing up my things in the empty studio, I was thinking of this special anonymous poem…

“Things get build here –

Friendships.

Strong bodies.

Fit bodies.

Confident bodies.

 

…It`s just a fitness class.

 

Things get broken here –

Barriers.

Silence.

Sweat.

 

…It`s just a fitness class.

 

Community is created.

We are together in the sad times.

We celebrate the good times.

 

…It`s just a fitness class.

 

It`s a serving ground –

We conquer our demons.

We relieve our stress.

We quiet the demons in our heads.

We feel at home here.

 

…It`s just a fitness class.

 

It`s the date in our diary we rarely miss

It`s the time for us to be carefree.

It`s the place where we can let go.

It`s Me-time.

It`s part of our lives…

 

IT’S NOT JUST A FITNESS CLASS

AND WE WILL BE BACK.  STRONGER THAN EVER.  TOGETHER….”

 Until then, we`re punching lockdown right in the face with our Zoom-for-Zest-Challenge and will prove that even on Zoom, a workout is not just a fitness class.  In the next nine weeks we`ll build friendships, break barriers, create community, quiet the demons in our heads, let go and become stronger. 

And while we cannot make Covid-19 disappear, we can remind ourselves not to believe everything we read, hear, think or feel.  As Bjorn Aris states in his top-seller “The martial arts of business”: “You cannot control a situation, but you can learn to master it.”   

Yours in fitness

Mirna

082 779 0507