Vandon Tricamo, Certified Personal Trainer, Moon Dragon Fitness
Lebanon, PA-Who is not familiar with the amygdala hijacking ‘CRUSH IT’ culture? You know; the screaming fitness or business coach telling you to go out and crush it, sleep less, and stomp upon your enemies. It is a wildfire in my profession, and I find it to be one of the unhealthiest behaviors in an industry about health. Unhealthy because it creates its own anxiety and can develop egocentric behavior. Yes- work hard, think creatively around obstacles, and always reach for the next challenge. But bragging and screaming about success seems more about revealing an unstable psyche rather than sharing genuine tools to achieve success. Much to our discredit, our culture worships the praise of egocentric personalities. In the end, all achievement succumbs to the dust of time. So then, what is even more valuable is each individual moment of our life. Being present in the here and now is a more fulfilling experience rather than chasing a future to fabricate a past.
Happiness is indeed a state of mind. Giving it your best as measured by your efforts while enjoying the journey is the win. Participation in the ‘Crush It’ culture often creates its own set of anxieties, stress, and burn out. My suggestion is to pursue perfection with a more virtuous stance. Accept challenges with a gentle smile and realize change and setback is the nature of life. In this way, change and set back become positive experiences for new achievements. Holding a perspective of opposition and conflict creates conflict and opposition. Live in the here and now with your endeavors. If your plate is full because you’re trying to eat more ‘success’ you’re just going to get fat and never enjoy the flavor.
These sentiments are echoed to us from the Stoic philosophers. They understood the importance of maintaining a healthy and happy state of mind before anything else. If your happiness is compromised in the pursuit of your endeavors then you must step back and reclaim a state of happiness before moving forward again.
“The happiness of those who want to be popular depends on others; the happiness of those who seek pleasure fluctuates with moods outside their control; but the happiness of the wiser grows out of their own free acts.” -Marcus Aurelius
In Positive Change,
Vandon, Certified Personal Trainer, Moon Dragon Fitness
Author: Amaury Abreu
