My weekly krav maga class is for beginners. I’m 53 and had a HS freshman correcting my movement. I could be silly and not want to listen or I could learn.
nothing looks dumber IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE than double-faulting twice or more in a game. but holding back with a wimpy serve means you never get competitive since anybody good can do anything they want with it.
Dinos, I partly agree with you (having been there, many times). But as one of tennis partners told me, "When I stopped giving a shit, my serves got more consistent." Anyway, I'd rather hit a 100-mph screamer long than a 55-mph lump of jell-o into the net.
Funny, I appreciate the sentiment of this post, but I hope Wendy and everyone reading this post would have a very different perspective watching someone get slung off the end of a treadmill or struggle climbing a rope. The person is trying and maybe out of their comfort zone, but they are trying. Good on them.
Nothing valuable is ever accomplished without trying, and usually it takes many more times than once. I don’t want to sound like I’m pontificating, God knows I’ve done lots of things where I failed spectacularly and generated more than a few laughs. But, I think we all admire that person who slides off the rope, dusts themselves off, grabs it again and goes for it.
Well put. I think many of us are afraid we are looking foolish in the eyes of others. I was a little - at first. Not so much anymore. But that's because I know what's on the other side of pushing through this discomfort - which is serious improvement.
Love the message here. Foolish is in the eye of the beholder, not the doer, I say. My own version of looking dorky at the gym is doing dumbell presses with my legs elevated off the floor, parallel to the bench, to work my core while working my upper body. Maybe it looks dumb, but it feeds two birds with one scone (as my writer friend would say).
Such an empowering perspective, getting comfortable with perceived mistakes/failures. Applies to both our actions and our words. The less concerned you are about looking foolish, the wiser you can become. Great paradox
Gwendolyn, thanks for the reference to Kyle’s Substack. His workouts provide lots of opportunities for me to look and feel foolish. Every time I think I’m getting fit someone, like you and like Kyle, proves I have a long way to go. I keep mumbling to myself, “it’s me against me.”
My weekly krav maga class is for beginners. I’m 53 and had a HS freshman correcting my movement. I could be silly and not want to listen or I could learn.
Having younger mentors is a huge asset.
nothing looks dumber IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE than double-faulting twice or more in a game. but holding back with a wimpy serve means you never get competitive since anybody good can do anything they want with it.
Dinos, I partly agree with you (having been there, many times). But as one of tennis partners told me, "When I stopped giving a shit, my serves got more consistent." Anyway, I'd rather hit a 100-mph screamer long than a 55-mph lump of jell-o into the net.
Nice. Great example. I'm not good at tennis but when I played a long time ago, I was definitely guilty of this.
Funny, I appreciate the sentiment of this post, but I hope Wendy and everyone reading this post would have a very different perspective watching someone get slung off the end of a treadmill or struggle climbing a rope. The person is trying and maybe out of their comfort zone, but they are trying. Good on them.
Nothing valuable is ever accomplished without trying, and usually it takes many more times than once. I don’t want to sound like I’m pontificating, God knows I’ve done lots of things where I failed spectacularly and generated more than a few laughs. But, I think we all admire that person who slides off the rope, dusts themselves off, grabs it again and goes for it.
Well put. I think many of us are afraid we are looking foolish in the eyes of others. I was a little - at first. Not so much anymore. But that's because I know what's on the other side of pushing through this discomfort - which is serious improvement.
Love the message here. Foolish is in the eye of the beholder, not the doer, I say. My own version of looking dorky at the gym is doing dumbell presses with my legs elevated off the floor, parallel to the bench, to work my core while working my upper body. Maybe it looks dumb, but it feeds two birds with one scone (as my writer friend would say).
That is hard. Good for you. My abs hurt thinking about it. I just heard that "two birds/scone" analogy this year. I like it.
Such an empowering perspective, getting comfortable with perceived mistakes/failures. Applies to both our actions and our words. The less concerned you are about looking foolish, the wiser you can become. Great paradox
Agree on the wiser framework, Kyle. And I like what you are doing over on your substack. Keep it up.
Gwendolyn, thanks for the reference to Kyle’s Substack. His workouts provide lots of opportunities for me to look and feel foolish. Every time I think I’m getting fit someone, like you and like Kyle, proves I have a long way to go. I keep mumbling to myself, “it’s me against me.”
Thank you Wendy. Means a lot coming from you.