Emancipate (your mind)

Some days you find the message you so desperately seek in the oddest of places.

5 mile drive - Pt. Defiance

The sun came out and I sent a little prayer up to mother nature to keep that ball of light out until I could get home, change into my running clothes and get to Pt. Defiance park to run. Mother Nature came through for me, and I came through for my emotional state of well being. About half way through this run I saw a car parked off to the side way up ahead of me with some large stencil that I’ve never quite understood across the rear window. I assumed it would be some sort of “(insert country here) pride” or “In memory of” but as I got closer and it became legible it said the following…

Emancipate your mind.

Merriam – Webster definition of Emancipate: 1) to free from restraint, control, or the power of another; especially: to free from bondage. 2) to release from paternal care and responsibility and make sui juris (one’s own law) 3) to  be free from any controlling influence (as traditional morals or beliefs).

This message hit me in the very core of my being.

I need to practice emancipating my mind from my body. More often than not my body wants to move forward in ways never imagined. It wants to push harder, go faster, go longer distances. It wants to get leaner, stronger and lift heavy shit. It wants (and craves) healthier, non processed, clean eating types of food. But…

You know what stops me?

My mind.

I’ve been on this LCJ for over a year and even with all the things I’ve accomplished (I’ve done more physically and emotionally speaking in the last year than I have in the previous 39 combined), I still wake up on a daily basis and fight the emotional battle between body and mind.

What my body wants, the mind fights against.

What my body KNOWS it can do, my mind doubts from beginning to end.

I spent that week before this glorious message was presented to me feeling bad about myself. Feeling bad about food choices. Feeling bad for maintaining my weight instead of losing. Feeling bad that I wasn’t moving enough or burning enough calories. Feeling bad because I thought….

My mind has too much power over me.

I’m not proclaiming that from this day forward my mind will not have power over me. It’s not that easy. That’s why this is called a LIFE changing journey. What I am proclaiming from this day forward is that I am giving myself permission to emancipate my mind from my body. I am giving my body permission to push harder, go faster, go longer distances. I am giving my body permission to  get leaner, stronger and lift heavier shit. I am giving my body permission to eat cleaner, more mindfully and enjoy every healthy bite that I put in my mouth.

I am also giving my body permission to fight back when my mind thinks it can’t do something. I am giving my body permission to fight back when my mind wants to fill it with food that is only placating an emotional / feeling I am afraid to face. I am giving my body permission to fight back when it says HELL YES and my mind says HELL NO.

Want to know something else?

I’m giving YOU permission to do the same.