ActiveATX is all about going out there, breaking outside of your comfort zone and trying new skills, things and sports. The personal growth that you get through the process of learning a new skill and executing an impressive new feat helps open up doors physically and mentally. I have been able to simple acrobatics from a young age, but after a few bad experiences on trampolines, solid earth and in friend’s backyards, I have had a fear of doing a backflip on the ground. Although I am able to these with ease off rope-swings, boats and cliffs, where the risk can arguably be much greater, I have had a mental block about doing this on the ground. Here is my attempt at challenging my boundaries and doing something I had a lot of built up fear. The feeling after I accomplished this was incredible but the accomplishment should not subordinate the actual process of being able to do a backflip.
First backflip from Jesse O’Brien on Vimeo.
Often times we focus so much on achieving something that we lose sight of the actual process. The process is where the growth occurs. When we fail, and get up and try it again, time and time again, our body is being exposed to repeated stimuli that overtime will lead us to our destination. The point of the matter is to enjoy the process and to not put so much pressure on the actual achievement of the goal. If we focus on consistently exposing ourselves to the things that are outside of our comfort zone, we will soon acheive what we initially set out to do.
I love the idea that with CrossFit, sport is at the top of the hierarchy of development of a CrossFit athlete. All the training and hard work that is applied in the gym, is eventually applied to your sport. Whether that sport is an actual sport such as tennis or football, or if your sport is keeping up with your kids or being able to keep up with your friends. Additionally, playing and trying new sports (or skills, modalities or exceeding your boundaries) is imperative to the growth of the athlete.
My view over the last few years of fitness has evolved. I no longer look at fitness as a means to an end, but rather a constantly evolving journey of expanding my bodies physical and mental capabilities.
Jesse
Keep Austin Active
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