Clayton Taylor, NASM-CPT, BA Psychology

We can do hard things.

Sometimes it’s having a difficult conversation; sometimes it’s getting out of bed and putting pants on.

This morning I missed a session. I feel guilty for cancelling on my client, and angry at myself for allowing it to happen. It’s 8:15 am and I want to crawl back into bed and start again tomorrow. But I know (from experience, lol) that it’s not what will help today.

We can do hard things.

Instead of turning on the tv, I lay down on the carpet in my living room, face-down. One hand pressed to the ground, then the other. With my hands in place, I push up with my chest from the floor: one, two, three, four; and I’m back on the ground. It’s not particularly challenging for me from a physical standpoint – the push-ups themselves are modified with my knees on the ground for a reduced weight load – but I might as well be lifting the earth itself.

We can do hard things.

I’m standing now, feet apart with a solid stance. As I lower myself into a squat I feel the burn of the lactic acid making my muscles groan. But then, all of a sudden, like ocean water sweeping over dry sand, relief. It’s only momentary, but I know where to get more.

The pull-up bar looks like its 15 feet high. As I pull it close I can feel my muscles struggle to lift me. In my mind that struggle is a metaphor for all the times that I tell myself I’m not enough. But I am. You are.

You are enough.

I am not a trainer because I’m an Iron Man Adonis. I’m a trainer because I know what it’s like to not want to get out of bed in the morning. I’m a trainer because I know what it’s like to feel defeated by your own hand. And I’m a trainer because I know what it’s like to decide that, despite all of that, I’m going to do things that make me feel good.

I’m a trainer because I want to help others do the same.

Clayton Taylor trains out of Tri Valley Trainer in Pleasanton, CA.
TriValleyTrainer.com  925.487.6858  clayton@trivalleytrainer.com