A Safe Place

Imagine these scenarios:

1. You tell your boss that you have been researching client psychology and have tried to implement some of your theories on clients you are currently responsible for. Unfortunately, half of your clients left, but you are still working out the kinks. You will get better at implementation in a couple of months.

2. You tell your spouse that you have been reading books and online articles on investing. You have taken it upon yourself to invest half of your retirement savings. Unfortunately, you lost all of that, but you have high hopes that the experience will help you invest the next half more effectively.

At best you have lost the trust of your boss or spouse, at worst you lost your job or spouse.

In life the stakes can be high. Taking risks, experimenting with limits and implementing newly acquired skills are part of personal development and are required for growth. One of the things that I love about CrossFit is that it allows a safe place to push our personal limits without losing our job or our spouse.

If you are working on mastering your muscle up, you may be frustrated, but you are encouraged to keep trying for three reasons. One, you are never condemned by your fellow CrossFitters for trying and missing. In fact, you are cheered for your effort and courage in the pursuit of something that is difficult. The second is, you have seen others work and work and succeed. You probably witness a PR or mastery of a new skill every week. Third, you are shown a way forward. Your coaches set out the progression clearly, and you know, from previous experience mastering the kipping pull up, that if you follow the progressions, you are only limited by your own effort.

I am amazed and inspired everyday by our athletes at Firebird CrossFit, not just by their accomplishments, but also by the support and encouragement they offer fellow Firebirds, making the gym a safe place to push, experiment and develop.