From unnoticed to unforgettable
Mondays were the hardest.
You would think they’d be easier since the weekends are for rest (allegedly), but they weren’t.
Saturdays were chock-full of grocery shopping, chores, little league, and barely enough time to relax with a single episode of the current binge-worthy show.
Sundays were for Church, visiting Mom, prepping a couple days’ worth of food, and making sure the kids finished all of their school projects that, of course, were due tomorrow. Day of rest? Not so much.
The last thing that sounded good when the alarm went off at 5AM on Monday was to get up and do squats.
But she did.
She slipped out of the house like a mouse while everyone slept and went to the neighborhood gym.
She only had 30 minutes to do her thing, so she had to hustle.
About a month ago, she got up the guts to cross over to the “scary side” of the gym. The one with dumbbells, barbells, machines, and grunting.
And even though she still wasn’t 100% comfortable over there, and she was certainly the only woman lifting weights, she liked the way she felt after her workouts, and she was already seeing results.
So she kept it up.
4 days a week, she kept up this routine like clockwork.
Slipping out in the morning, getting back just in time to help the kids get ready for school, before heading out to her own demanding job.
She started recognizing faces at the gym.
There were friendly faces, tired faces, and faces she ignored from people who thought she should stick to the side of the gym with the treadmills.
And even though everyone pretty much kept to themselves, they knew they were a part of a team with a common purpose.
Some teams have a secret handshake or a code word. The 5AM gym crew was united by a sleepy eyed head nod of affirmation.
One morning, one of those head nods turned into a conversation.
In between sets, a woman timidly approached her.
She said, “I don’t want to bother you, but I just wanted to let you know that you’ve been an inspiration to me.”
“I joined this gym because I hated the way I looked and felt.”
“I came once and wanted to quit.”
“But then I saw you, and was impressed with what you were doing, so I came back.”
“And when I came back, you were here again.”
“And just seeing you be consistent even though it’s early inspired me to do the same.”
“I’ve lost 10 pounds since that first day when I wanted to quit, and more importantly, I’m more comfortable in my own skin. So thank you”.
She was lost for words.
She’d never seen herself that way. Inspiring someone? It never even crossed her mind.
But she did, and to know she made an impact on someone else made those 5AM alarms a little bit easier.
Just two weeks later, her oldest came to her after dinner on Sunday.
“Hey Mom, do you think I could go to the gym with you tomorrow?
Even though she thought no one noticed, her son had seen her change.
He saw that she was stronger, more confident, and seemed to never run out of energy.
Fast forward a year.
The whole family is working out regularly and eating better.
Everyone is healthier, and there’s an air of positivity around the house that wasn’t there before.
The 5AM workout crew has grown. 6 women getting strong together, and holding each other accountable over on the scary side of the gym.
You see, people are watching you.
Even if sometimes you feel like you’re on your fitness journey alone, you’re not.
We all struggle with motivation, and sometimes we wonder if it’s worth it.
When you keep deciding to show up, you’re inspiring other people.
They’re feeding off of your consistency and the example you’re setting.
So when the alarm goes off, and you’re still tired from a not-so-restful weekend, go get it.
Go get it for yourself, and go get it for the people you didn’t even know that you’re inspiring.
Lift heavy, and be nice.
Jonathan