Choosing to live, succeed, and thrive is an act of defiance against the pull of inertia. Itโs a deliberate decision to face resistance head-on, to expend energy when the easier path is to do nothing at all. Our natural state leans toward restโthink of how effortlessly we sink into a couch or scroll through a phone. Itโs comfortable, itโs passive, and itโs where momentum goes to die. But the things we most desireโhealth, achievement, connection, purposeโdonโt wait for us in that stillness. They live on the other side of hard work, demanding we push through the friction of effort to claim them.
Resistance isnโt just an obstacle; itโs the proving ground. In the gym, this is literal: muscles grow when you lift against gravity, not when you let the barbell sit. A squat isnโt transformative because itโs easyโitโs the strain that builds strength. Life follows the same rules. Want a thriving career? Youโll need to wrestle with late nights, tough calls, and the risk of rejection. Crave deep relationships? That takes vulnerability, time, and the courage to navigate conflict. Success and fulfillment arenโt gifts bestowed on the idle; theyโre rewards for those who choose to move when staying put feels better.
This choice to expend energy is what separates existing from thriving. Nature favors equilibriumโthink of a rock rolling downhill until it stops. Humans, though, can defy that. We can decide to climb instead. But itโs not free. Every step costs something: sweat, focus, discomfort. The entrepreneur grinding through a startupโs lean years isnโt restingโtheyโre burning energy on a vision. The parent juggling work and kids isnโt coastingโtheyโre investing in a bond. Even joy, the kind that lasts, often comes from effort, like training for a race or mastering a skill. Passivity might keep you alive, but it wonโt make you feel alive.
The catch is, resistance never fully goes away. Thriving isnโt a destination where effort stops; itโs a state sustained by it. Studies on human motivation, like those rooted in self-determination theory, show weโre wired to seek growthโbut only when we engage with challenges. The brain loves a dopamine hit from a Netflix binge, but itโs the deeper satisfaction of overcoming that sticks. Rest replenishes, sure, but too much of it dulls. What we craveโmeaning, pride, progressโblooms in the tension of striving.
So, to live fully is to embrace this truth: the good stuff lies beyond the hard stuff. Itโs choosing the hill over the valley, knowing the view at the top is worth the climb. The natural state tempts us to conserve, to wait, to hope success drifts our way. But it wonโt. Thriving means signing up for the fightโexpending energy not because itโs easy, but because whatโs on the other side matters more than the rest we leave behind. Thatโs the deal: resist, push, work. Only then do we get to taste what weโre truly capable of.
If you're ready to fight for yourself reach out HERE, we are here to help you win! Hope to see you in the arena!
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Fist bump,
Coach Derek