Sometimes, we break down. We get depressed; our rhythm gets out of sync.
There are some days I feel down. I'd mope around for a few minutes lasting to a few hours. At most, I'd feel sad for a day. But then, an epiphany shows up and I'm better than I was.
I realized that we are fragile for a good reason. We get to know that we cannot be powerful all the time; we get to see our humanity. It is a momentary pause that give us an appreciation of what truly makes us smile and what we clearly want in life.
Recently, I had an injury and I would have wholeheartedly accepted if it weren't for an upcoming sports tournament. For a while, it made me feel bad that my preparation was inadequate. If I would rate my endurance, it would have been 70% of what I had two years ago; and that is a good rating. So far, 100% of me can do 10k run under 58 minutes or bike 100 miles in a day (an adventure through trail and road; regardless of inclination).
Yet, 70% is not enough to protect myself from injuries. I realized that there were some gaps in my training and mental focus. I have become too relaxed with my current routine that I didn't go out my way to add resistance or new movements. With these insights, I am more equipped on how I should really train.
I believe that even at our 100% we are still fragile; we always find ourselves human. It is a wake-up call that strengthens us to become more human - adaptive to the environment. I may be 70% prepared for the tournament but I am not prepared for other environments. My strength is specialized but not wholly functional to life and its challenges.
We should always prepare. Comfort is a sign that we stopped caring to challenge ourselves. There is no reality that 100% exists - we must keep striving for a better version of ourselves. We can never be complete because, once we are complete, we wouldn't be able to call ourselves human. We have to protect our fragility. Knowing that we are fragile is already enough; we do not need to experience it. And, we shouldn't let it conquer us.
