What motivates you?

So really.  Why be a fitness fanatic?  Why wake up at the ass crack of dawn to push yourself to the extreme?  I used to make of people who did that.  Or go run 8 miles on your Sunday off?  Or take a kickboxing class?  Why do you do it?  Is it for weight loss?  Is it to get toned by _____ date?  Is it for the endorphins/mental health?  Are you training for something?  What motivates you?

For me fitness is simply a way to express myself.  I find I do better with goals- but the goals are not really the point.  The end result is incidental.  I remember in art school I had an art teacher that had us sketch the most ridiculous things.  Once he had us come into the studio and encircle a group of suitcases.  We had no idea what were in the suitcases, but we had to stare at them for a certain amount of time and then draw what we saw in them.  For 3 hours.  Did I say we had to stare at suitcases for 3 hours?  3 hours.  Anyway, the point was not to figure out what was in the suitcases and draw it perfectly and lifelike.  The point was to sit and watch.  Watch and pray, if you will.  And let the image come to you.  And the process is where the lesson is.

And so how does this relate to wearing a Glittini on stage with glass healed shoes and fake tan? Well, that' my suitcase.  And it's fun to imagine what I'll do and learn to get there.   Live outside of my head (thanks Monica) every once in a while.  See what my body is made of.  How my muscles look when they're strong and nourished well.  Being physical is a very satisfying, primal, organic experience.  I enjoy pushing myself because it removes me from my head and gets me into my body.  It breaks everything down.  It sorts and simplifies without my analyzing or micromanaging.  And then in the end you're heart is pumping, your body is buzzing and you're high.  And it's good. 

For example: I typed this entire blog post in this position.  No, I'm kidding.  Just the first paragraph. 

Work with your body.  Get to know it.  Flaws and all.  Give it the good stuff.  Don't worry- I'm not going to get all Oprah-Elizabeth Gilbert-Eat-Eat-Eat-Eat-Pray-Love on you.  (Notice my inflection on the Eat- cause that was my favorite part of the book. Shocker.) You all are smart enough to know what's good for you without someone spoon feeding it to you while braiding your hair and telling you you deserve it.  For me, despite all logical reasoning, I know that getting up at 5:40am every weekday is good for me.  It is my meditation.  My yoga.  My "me" time.  My prayer.  My way of loving myself.

And so that's my motivation.  And sure the reality of the Glittini makes me eat a little cleaner and skip those impulse snacks.  But the exercise?  Well, that's just plain fun.

Why do you do it?