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If you've ever seen an image of a set of well-brandished abs, all rippling with etches and lines that we can only imagine having, we often think of the impossibility of attaining such a sculpted look. The actual reality of it is that we shouldn't always be focusing on such things. Those are the things of fantasies, not even dreams. We actually are being subjected to a self-punishing existence that may sometimes border on an unhealthy approach to fitness. Now granted, most of us don't want to be walking around with an excessive amount of jiggle, but I can assure you, if your body has a nice shape, with a good posture, and a healthy approach to your diet as the undercarriage of the overall engine, you can be confident that you look better than most in this age of excesses.
I'm referencing the fitness Dons and Divas of the industry. These are well-practiced masters and mistresses of their fields, with a seasonal approach to their superhuman seeming physical details. It's a seasonal approach to their peak levels. Every sport, in fact, has seasons; and if we're to be happy and healthy, we should keep to a seasonal approach as well. This, of course, should be with an honest and consistent regimen. One should always be working out to challenge oneself with many facets of their fitness focus. This means always strive to improve your performance as opposed to your aesthetics. If you have the conditioning and discipline to transform your body with what would seem to be a laser-focused approach to your overall results, you can always get the six-pack. But when was the last time you checked your hormone levels? How efficient is your central nervous system and your reactivity to stimulus, like catching a ball, or climbing the stairs two steps at a time? Do you get sick often? All these are questions you should be asking when you're approaching your overall health. If any of these questions cannot be answered quickly and most assuredly, then you've missed the point of fitness. You're not even taking care of yourself properly. you're just punishing yourself and there may even be some slight levels of self-loathing in there. Or there may be a too high and mighty view of yourself and you're unbearable to your friends and family. Can you carry yourself in a healthy manner with your peers?> Or are you unable to be in a crowd if you're not outshining everybody and making sure that someone feels worse about themselves because they're not as "prefect" as you?
The end-result of all these ramblings of this constantly evolving and self-examining professional with three decades of immersion in various disciplines is this- be happy and healthy. Be your best for your community. Be a true environment changer and inspirer of many people by being an innovator in your respective disciplines and leave the earth a better place than when you found it. Don't leech every resource to just feed your ego. And remember, you can be as beautiful as the next person. But if you haven't developed a strong sense of your true self, once again, you've missed the point of buffeting the flesh, of training to improve every day to be the best- not just to spend hours staring in the mirror and speaking sweet nothings to yourself as you gaze longingly at your reflection.
So yes, in summation, I said it. Train to feed your soul, not the ego. Because all that beauty fades. Your strength may fade. But your soul is what stays forever. So be a forever kind of person. And keep it moving!!!