On Having a Positive Spin on Life
As anyone who knows me or reads my blog can attest to, I have a fairly positive spin on life. I can see the good in even the most horrible of situations or challenges (at least in hindsight).
This blog title is a little misleading though because it actually refers to a class that I have been taking lately called "A Positive Spin on Life." Again, if you know me or read my blog, you also know that spin is my favorite gym class and I take many spin classes a week.
So, I bet you are wondering what this class is all about? How it is different from the regular spin class?
Well, my friend Kris is both the instructor and creator of this course and every single time I take it, I feel privileged to be able to do so.
It is an incredibly challenging class, physically. I love to challenge myself physically on a regular basis.
And, it is the most thought-provoking, awe-inspiring hour that I spend on Tuesdays and every-other-Saturday. I also love to challenge myself mentally and emotionally.
Kris is not only an amazing instructor, a professional natural bodybuilder, and awesome mom to two amazing kids, but she also has cancer. This is the third time she has battled lymphoma.
Kris shares her story each week - not for the accolades. She doesn't care if people think she is strong or brave. She is both, but that's not the purpose behind the creation of this class. She shares her story to acknowledge that everyone has battles they fight - disease of the body, disease of the mind, addictions, injuries, etc. How we look at our battles, though, is indicative of how we progress through them. She shares her story in the hopes that it will help others through their life challenges, that it will bring others a more positive outlook.
She starts each class with an inspirational talk. She picks songs that mean something to her and she shares that meaning. In between each song, she talks to us. She encourages us to start each day with one positive thought. She shares her belief that our battles are lessons to be learned. She encourages us to remain in the present, taking only the lessons from the past, to move forward with strength and determination. She reminds us that the bad stuff highlights all that is good in our lives. She reminds us to be grateful for the good. She makes us believe we can do anything.
I bet you're wondering why someone with as positive an outlook on life as I have would get something out of this class. Well, I think we all need to be reminded sometimes - if not to change our perspective on ourselves, but to change our perspective on others - perhaps to be more empathetic.
What I've learned from Kris' class, is that it is okay to share your story, even if you do not necessarily want the attention it brings. Sometimes, sharing your story is exactly what someone else needs - either because her story may be similar and perhaps you sharing allows her not to feel alone in her struggle, or because it brings another person perspective on their own challenges in life. Either way, a pretty good case for sharing.
I think Kris and I are similar in a lot of ways - certainly in our ability to see the positive in some pretty terrible situations. And also, in that we both view some measure of our personal success in the impact we can have on another's success. Kris has an enormous (positive) impact on others. I am so grateful to get to see and experience it each week.
This blog title is a little misleading though because it actually refers to a class that I have been taking lately called "A Positive Spin on Life." Again, if you know me or read my blog, you also know that spin is my favorite gym class and I take many spin classes a week.
So, I bet you are wondering what this class is all about? How it is different from the regular spin class?
Well, my friend Kris is both the instructor and creator of this course and every single time I take it, I feel privileged to be able to do so.
It is an incredibly challenging class, physically. I love to challenge myself physically on a regular basis.
And, it is the most thought-provoking, awe-inspiring hour that I spend on Tuesdays and every-other-Saturday. I also love to challenge myself mentally and emotionally.
Kris is not only an amazing instructor, a professional natural bodybuilder, and awesome mom to two amazing kids, but she also has cancer. This is the third time she has battled lymphoma.
Kris shares her story each week - not for the accolades. She doesn't care if people think she is strong or brave. She is both, but that's not the purpose behind the creation of this class. She shares her story to acknowledge that everyone has battles they fight - disease of the body, disease of the mind, addictions, injuries, etc. How we look at our battles, though, is indicative of how we progress through them. She shares her story in the hopes that it will help others through their life challenges, that it will bring others a more positive outlook.
She starts each class with an inspirational talk. She picks songs that mean something to her and she shares that meaning. In between each song, she talks to us. She encourages us to start each day with one positive thought. She shares her belief that our battles are lessons to be learned. She encourages us to remain in the present, taking only the lessons from the past, to move forward with strength and determination. She reminds us that the bad stuff highlights all that is good in our lives. She reminds us to be grateful for the good. She makes us believe we can do anything.
I bet you're wondering why someone with as positive an outlook on life as I have would get something out of this class. Well, I think we all need to be reminded sometimes - if not to change our perspective on ourselves, but to change our perspective on others - perhaps to be more empathetic.
What I've learned from Kris' class, is that it is okay to share your story, even if you do not necessarily want the attention it brings. Sometimes, sharing your story is exactly what someone else needs - either because her story may be similar and perhaps you sharing allows her not to feel alone in her struggle, or because it brings another person perspective on their own challenges in life. Either way, a pretty good case for sharing.
I think Kris and I are similar in a lot of ways - certainly in our ability to see the positive in some pretty terrible situations. And also, in that we both view some measure of our personal success in the impact we can have on another's success. Kris has an enormous (positive) impact on others. I am so grateful to get to see and experience it each week.
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