Kells Blogpost - The Most Important Question You Can Ask Yourself

He was sprawled out on the floor, literally gasping for air. He was in phenomenal shape for his age, but even so, the fact that he was on the wrong side of 50 made me do a double-take to make sure my friend was doing ok. We had just completed a workout so grueling that we were simply laying on the floor, punch-drunk with fatigue and chewing on that metallic taste that gets in your mouth after you pump your lungs with too much blood over a short, intense period of time.

“We do some fucked up shit here”, he said. “WHY?”

Brilliant. A question so profound yet so simple. Why do we show up? Why do we do what we do? Not just in CrossFit but it life?

The answer to this question should mean everything to you.

What is your "Why"? No matter what it is, we all need a strong, well-defined one, particularly if we are looking to accomplish anything challenging in our lives. I don’t care if it’s going to the gym, going to work, or just getting out of your bed in the morning…if you don’t have a strong Why, things are not going to get done. You won’t do them as hard or as well. If you are going to drive change, in the world or in yourself…if you are going to impact others, you absolutely must have a strong Why.

What is yours? Write it down on a piece of paper and look at it often. It doesn’t particularly matter what it is, as long as it is impactful to you. If you do a good job at identifying it, it will without question serve its purpose as a motivating force in your life.

What drives you? What pushes you? Is there something within you that allows you to say Fuck Off to the snooze button in the morning? If not…find it.

What is the SPIRIT behind why you do what you do? The purpose. Because there are two extremes here, aren’t there? On one end you might be sleepwalking your way through an existence with no discernable goal or purpose. Showing up to a job that you don’t particularly like, checking dogmatic boxes and going through the motions. On the other end, you have a motor; someone or something (or both) that is propelling you forward. And honestly, it could be anything. Maybe it’s your children. Your parents. A mission or a calling. Or the specter of a loved one who is no longer here.

Maybe it’s something material! Fine. Money? The house that you want in the town that you want? If it is driving you to do what you want to do and to get things done…perfect. The concept/correlation of money and happiness is an entirely different argument; all we are considering here is what is driving you through your days to a positive trajectory.

Your Why drives you to take action…today, not tomorrow. Don’t be haunted by the ghosts of your potential when you are lying on your deathbed. Most of what we accomplish in life is just the tip of the iceberg of our capabilities. But if your Why is strong enough, you’re more apt to take that leap…into a new job, or a new relationship. Into a CrossFit gym for the first time. Or to do that thing you’ve been avoiding all of these years…write the first few pages of that book that has been kicking around in your head, or start that business that you know is for you.

I’ll say it again…do NOT let the ghosts of your potential accuse you of not using all of your gifts. This is called “regret”, and regret is a nasty business. Use those gifts now while there is still time.

Are we just talking about an occupation or a gym membership? Hell no. BUT, it is all part of the bigger picture. If you look at somebody who is dialed-in to CrossFit, who puts themselves in that program on a daily or weekly basis, more often than not that person will have a pretty strong Why…someone who has a motor inside of the gym that translates to life outside of it.

Because guess what? We all get tired. We all get to a breaking point where we can’t take another step, run another mile, do another rep or even just get up in the morning because some life circumstance punched us in the face. And when we reach that point, it is the strength of our Why that not only gets us past that point, but allows us to thrive in those circumstances.

On a micro level, you could just be having a bad day, or be in the middle of a grueling workout where you can’t even see straight. On a macro level? Maybe you lost your job. Maybe he or she left you and they’re not coming back. Maybe you or someone you love got sick…really sick.. Life does not use kid gloves when it throws challenges our way. But it is a beautiful thing to watch someone who is so very clearly in the midst of whatever battle they are in handle themselves with strength, poise and grace. The stronger your Why is, the more capable you are of conducting yourself in that manner.

Anybody can be a ray of sunshine when they have a full belly, are in a good relationship, their bills are paid and they have a solid roof over their head. What happens when that’s NOT the case? Same applies to the gym…anyone can show up on the day when whatever is programmed is one of their strengths. But what about when it’s a heavy day and you’re not strong? Or a running day and you can’t run? What do you do then? Again, it is here where your Why carries you.

In “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Viktor Frankl writes that “those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how’”. Beautiful words from a man who went through Hell and back, and who was eminently qualified to make that kind of statement.

So, CrossFit friends and future CrossFit friends alike…what is your Why? How do you define yourself, and what talents are you presently leaving on the table?

Keeping in the spirit of this question, CrossFit Kells will be spearheading an extremely unique challenge for the South Shore CrossFit community over the next 6-12 months. It will be hard, cold, wet, slightly expensive, and incredibly rewarding. Those who accept this challenge may even meet themselves for the first time while completing it. This challenge will essentially be offered to anybody, but will definitively not be for everybody.

We will be releasing details in the coming weeks, and if your curiosity gets the best of you by all means come and see me. In the meantime…consider this topic and these questions. Dedicate some time to them and write a few things down. None among you who do this will be sorry that you did…

-Mike