Cross-FIT #156 Slow Down to Speed Up

We like to rush things.
CrossFitters have that tendency to do just that.
On the sound of the buzzer, we go all cray cray.
We put intensity into our movements and step on the pedal big time.
Often, we focus so much on the efficiency of things, because of that, we don't really look at the beauty of things.
This might be a bit contrary to what many perceive but truly, at times, we need to Slow Down to Speed Up.

And when I say slow down, I don't mean slowing down in the workout.
There is a time and place for the workout and it should rightly be often and common.
However, don't forget the small fine details of things.
Don't forget the movements which seem beautiful.
Don't neglect the things which might not necessarily help improve efficiency but will build overall strength.
Often, these movements don't come with intensity.
They come with staying put.
They come with holding in a static position that may be seemingly uncomfortable.

And that's how we are at times, we want to rush through and do things which will feel good and make us more efficient.
Instead, perhaps we need to focus more on staying at the places which might not be as comfortable but will build strength within us.
To stay in moments of discomfort to build resilience.
We might just need to "Tarry" in presence of God to get that breakthrough.
Not to say that it's a place of discomfort but we rush it at times and yeah, that just isn't the way, is it?

So be still.
Be still.
Get into that happy place and be prepared for a ride.

Cross-Fit #155 The fighter within

There will be moments whereby you body and soul has had enough.
Enough is enough.
We spend time and effort perfecting our movements and perfecting our craft again and again.
Only to realize that this is really tiring.
They say that in any High Intensity workout, the outcome is truly, results.
A ton of results, a change in body composition, a better engine, energy levels, just to name a few of the benefits.
However, why don't people do it?
It's really cause high intensity workouts bring you to a really dark place.
It's not easy, it sucks and it is downright painful.

It takes a special kind of someone to face this day in day out with the mental strength to keep pushing their limits.
We see this in not just CrossFit athletes but in Track athletes and in many sportsman and woman who devote hours upon hours to work on their technique relentlessly.
However, I have to admit, that drive, can be easily lost if you don't take care of it.
It becomes a chore more than an enjoyment.
Look at people who started out having SO much fun doing it and suddenly, 4-5 years down the road and gosh, this is going nowhere.
Yes, the numbers are getting better, no doubt about that.
But at the heart of things, it just isn't sustainable.

I have felt that way the past few months.
It just isn't worth it putting myself through the torture and pain.
I mean, those are fitness goals but really, what's the point?

But you have to find the fighter within.
Not the fighter who is known to be the strongest. No no.
The fighter who has the most grit.
Who can bite their teeth and restart their engine again.
You need to find that special someone inside of yourself to restart and accelerate again.
In any situation in your life, be it in CrossFit or every other aspect.

Find a reason for what you're doing to reignite that engine.
Find that reason to revive that fighter inside.
It could be going back to where you first began and to laugh again.
Back to where you would do something stupid like conjure up a workout which is impossible to complete. Or learning new things.
It could simply be coming back to your roots.
Your passion and your drive will then find meaning.

Fight.
This one.
This one's a Fighter.

Cross-Fit #154 We may not have everything

The past week has been a dark one for many of us.

It has been a time of mourning and remembering our founding father Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

I guess it was a surreal moment for me when the news broke out on Monday.

Like many, we were probably just waking up or on the way to work when we heard the news.

It took me a while to really come to terms with it.

Initially, it was, right, yeah he passed away.

Then it sort of hit me.

Gosh, the one whom founded the country has passed away.

We owe way too much to this one person.

I have never really met him before, I didn't know so much about him there and then.
In fact, I hardly knew much about his life or his accomplishments.
I knew about what he did from the textbooks but since I was a kid I never really understood the real relevance of things.
Boys being boys, always fixated and glued to my playstation, I really couldn't care less
But why, why was I somehow affected?

Honestly, without his doing, we won't be where we are today.

I won't be sitting comfortably and typing this post out.

I won't be living in a nice home driving my car to the box every other day.

Honestly, I probably won't even have started Innervate to begin with.

Not just that, but well, City Harvest Church probably won't be around too.

We really do owe alot to him.
I've come to feel a sense of gratitude and appreciation towards him and all that he has done.

As thoughts, memoirs, blog posts, messages and news reports pour out online.

I guess this one is coming a little late after the entire funeral.

I suppose I wanted to take some time to really think about it and let the entire week run its course.

I read about how LKY was a leader that did the right thing, might not have been the nicest but had to be done at that time.

I hear of how he is a loving husband and a caring father who, regardless of how busy he is, comes to his family when there is a need to.

Watching videos of lessons that can be learnt from him and brought into our lives make me think of my own too.

I read quotes upon quotes about how he governed the country, how he thinks of politics and how he lived his life.

Perhaps the most impactful moment was during the funeral. Hearing the last eulogy of Lee Hsien Yang and having him share stories about his Papa showed one thing.
That above all
Mr Lee Kuan Yew loved and loved bravely.
Not just the country but also his family.
Never once did Lee Hsien Yang call him Mr Lee Kuan Yew but always papa and how his grandchildren would always always call him "yeye"
When the last horn was sounded and we placed our fist on our chests reciting the pledge and sing the national anthem, it was a moment of reflection.
That he fought for us.
He spent his entire life, fighting for us.

So what can I say?

I guess these inadequate words won't be enough.

But Thank You Mr Lee Kuan Yew for everything.

From being our PM to SM to MM.

For being someone who is the pillar of the country and our guiding light.

I will wake up tomorrow having what I have because of you.
Waking up a proud Singaporean means a whole lot more now.

As one of spokesperson for the funeral said, "I might not have everything in the World but I have more than most, because of your life long labour."
That is something to be thankful for.

We always say in CrossFit, to keep track of your PRs, to keep track of your progress.

But beyond that, take some time to look back and be happy with where you are, right now.

Because that is sometimes gonna be the drive that makes you thankful, grateful for what you have.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew may have passed on but his legacy will continue.

His life will not be forgotten, he will live as Singapore continues to prosper.

It is up to us to live a life worthy now.

He has fought for Singapore. he has lived his life for Singapore. He lived his life for others.

It is up to us to continue the legacy.

CrossFit #153 Fight For Hope

Fight For Hope was the name of the CrossFit Workout we did for #OBW2014.
It was a workout I thoroughly enjoyed and saw many people work hard for.
But I suppose if I can sum up a little of how this year feels like, well, it's a Fight For Hope
This year has been a particularly hard one. Not a bad one at any level at all.
But it's been pretty rough and hard. It required quite a bit of me at almost every stage of the game.
I was stretched, pulled, trampled, washed up, woken up, smacked out and revived.
However, it was a real Fight For Hope simply cause "Hope" isn't exactly the easiest thing to come by.

Real genuine hope is probably hard to come by.
Hope is different from worry, so very different.
Worry gets you know where, Hope propels you forward, to the next step.
So why Hope?

I guess a big part of the year, I have been in a worrying rut.
Setting up Innervate and making the effort to make opportunities come to pass.
It's a totally not easy job AT ALL.
You do what we can, we really do, but at the end of the day.
We can only Hope.
And that, very honestly, has been a struggle for me.
Now yes, Hope is important and many back their hope up on all the effort that they have put in.
Students hope for the best results but a big part of their confidence in that hope resides in the amount of effort that have put in to study.
It somewhat overlaps with Faith even.
However, for me, I guess I've been doing that.
I've been putting my faith, and been backing my hope up based on the effort that I've put in,
Be it in design work, working on my craft as a coach and athlete, marketing efforts, business development.
I've come to realize, that all of that, is for nothing.

I guess as a believer and a Christian.
Hope is something close to me.
But not because of my efforts.
I can hope simply because I have Jesus.
This Christmas, I was gently reminded of that fact.
I can be happy, I can walk out head held high, I can be confident about myself, I can have the hope that I am going to succeed and be the head and not the tail.
Not because of my efforts, not because of who I am even.
But simply because I have Jesus.

I guess when we start seeing Jesus in everything that we do, that is when things become better.
It's true when Jesus says, "my yoke is light." It makes it easier to live as a believer.
Because when we start having hope, we don't rely on our Strength but on His.
We start seeing things differently.
That no matter how good or bad the day, week, month or even year has been.
We can have hope that God is in control and that we, have Jesus with us.
 Then it becomes something different.
It now implies that our "bad" days, aren't really BAD.
We need to simply have a change in perspective and a change in where and how we place our hope.

Begin Hoping in Jesus.

Cross-Fit #151 The Perspective

Sometimes, perspective is all you need.

You don't need more time, more money, more strength, more fitness.
Sometimes all you need is perspective.

When you start seeing the situation around you differently, your reality changes.

No matter what people say.

No matter how the facts are laid out in front of you

Reality is shaped based on your perspective.

A friend once said, that you gravitate towards the news that suits your character.

You simply reject those which aren't aligned with yours.

And how true is that.

I can tell you that a beef is good for you.

But if deep down inside, you know with all your heart, that rice is best.

Sorry, I can't do much for you.

It's a matter of perspective.

Not to say we don't try to steer those off tangent back in line.

But we need to respect free will.

Either way, this isn't about others.

It's about us. It's about YOU.

If you start thinking every other day, that your circumstances just suck.

Then perhaps, they will.

If you wake up, thinking to yourself, UNFAIR, LIFE IS UNFAIR.

Then perhaps, life will be unfair.

If you wake up, thinking to yourself. Troubles may come but, I'm a fighter.

Then maybe, just maybe, life will be better.

OR if you wake up being CONVINCED that God is Good all the time.

Then maybe, life will be really awesome.

Because no matter your situation, no matter what you're going through, life is going to be awesome because God is a good plan for you. That if he cares more for the sparrows, won't he do the same or more for your lives?

It's about perspective. 

See through a different lens.

CROSS-FIT #150 And a new phase begins

Finally, after so many years of education, it has finally come to an end

My days of mugging endlessly in a bid to climb and run the rat race has finally come to an end.

It's really funny, how my perspective of life has changed all these years.

I mean, I take a good step back and look back at my younger years (Not to say I'm really old)

But wow, it's really been quite an awesome ride, it really has.

And honestly, I thank God for that.

I mean, take a look at the blog archives on the right, this blog has existed for quite some time.

Because of that, I guess it somehow chronicles my entire life.

From the things I value, to thoughts that dominate my mind

Yes, it's fun. However, right now, it's time to move on to the next phase of life.

The graduation hat has been thrown, the words have been said and I've been cast into the deep.

One thing I do remember and has lasted through all my days.

Is passion for people.

From my younger years, I've always had this inclination to work with people.

To work to benefit others and make their lives better.

Thus I initially wanted to become a teacher, helping others grow!

However, after some time, I guess I got pushed to think of the corporate sector instead.

I guess after all this time, I've come one full circle.

Because when the call really comes, you can't run from it.

I've always wanted to make people better and this is what I'm going to do.

Innervate CrossFit was birthed because of that.

Because me, Moses and Lenny want to make a difference in the lives of others.

We want to Forge Elite Lives and Make People Better.

To make this a "Box without walls" and to find a need and meet it, a weakness and strengthen it.

As I step into this next phase of life, there will be MANY obstacles and MANY sleepless nights.

There's no doubt that if the ride is a smooth one, then something is wrong.

It's definitely gonna be a rocky one.

But I'm ready for it and I'm excited for it.

Mid Year Gratitude

This platform has been largely neglected.

All the busyness, hasn't been very helpful in creating time to update my blog.

It's not that I don't think that I have nothing good or no new revelations about CrossFit and Life.

I just didn't have the time to come out of my hiding hole to get it all typed out.

Well it's a Sunday and I guess its about time I did something about that.

Right now, after such a long hiatus, I don't really know where to start anymore or where to begin.

I suppose it's only right if I take some time to take a step back and be thankful.

Might sound like I'm being all sentimental and nostalgic by taking time to reminisce about everything that has happened in my life, especially this year.

But it's half way through the year, think it might be a good time to just recap a couple of things that has happened.

1) Innervate CrossFit

2) BootCamp Kick Start

3) Finishing FYP and SDP 

4) Finishing University Education

5) CrossFit Singapore Progress / 5th Year

6) Emerge

7) CrossFit Kids Course

8) Commitment to Serving and Humility

9) Many Many Cell Groups and Services which have been profoundly impactful

10) Ning's Birthday!

11) Second Attempted Tech Start-Up

12) First Tech Start-Up not being realized

13) CrossFit Games Open
14) Coursera Courses!

Well, some things might seem trivial to some. However, these are just a few things which are etched in my mind in the first half of the year. It has been quite a ride, really. Thank God for the amazing things that has happened thus far. Things will only get better (and busier) 

Why do this? Why count your blessings so early on? Or as what others would say, why count your eggs before they hatch? I guess it does something to you. Something Dr Robi (A clinical Psychologist) said previously was this, when you engage in gratitude, what doesn't ill you only makes yo strongerand that grateful people are less likely to feel envy, regret and produce stress in our lives. 

So what can we be excited about in the coming few months? I don't know man, but one thing that I'm certain of, I can't wait for them to happen. I can't wait for those breakthroughs and am hoping for amazing things to happen.

PSA. If you haven't heard, Innervate CrossFit is going to be opening soon. STAY TUNED!

Cross-Fit #149 The Dry Spell

I don't know if you've noticed but Singapore just overcame perhaps the biggest drought in like fifty years or so. It came to an end when the rain hit just a week ago.

It was really hot and really dry.

It was so dry that the grass along the pavements started to brown out.

Gosh, I recall everyone just pleading for it to rain already.

It's as if the rain came miraculously and suddenly.

When it came, gosh it came mightily. 

Sometimes, we have dry periods.

We do.

We experience dryness not just in work or in life or even in the weather.

We experience dryness in our training in CrossFit.

You seem to hit a wall.

You can't progress anymore.

Every single day, suddenly the training program becomes more and more arduous.

You're more inclined to sit at home, order a pizza and watch YouTube than go and hit the box.

CrossFit does that to you sometimes.

In fact, I think every sport does that to you.

I won't call it a burn out, no no.

It's just a really dry period. Things are just hard going in every aspect.

And often, our lives aren't segmented that easily.

One thing affects another.

If training is bad, gosh, it spills over to your relationships, time management and lifestyle.

But what happens when the brook dries up?

When happens when you have somehow no more gas to continue?

Where is the rain? Where is it when you are truly desperate?

I guess that's what Faith is all about.

It's when the dry spell comes and is here to stay but you keep on the good work.

Your spirit is down, you are tired.

This is when you must remember what God has done for you.

You must remember what he has done for you in your past victories and also defeats.

You have to recall the promises in the Bible and his hand upon your life.

Each step of the way.

Every single step of the way.

Remember that God is Good all the time.

And all the time, God is Good.

Like how the dry spell came to an end in a spectacular fashion.

Your dry spell has an expiry date too.

You too, can come back stronger than ever.

But hang in there. Hang in there.

Remember your dreams, remember your visions.

Let it be the guiding force of your life.

Let what you do, resound with passion every single day.

Because rain will come.

#Cross-fit 148 Are you ready?

It's less than a week away...

It's the time of the year yet again.

The Opens!

This year, however, was slightly different.

After last November, the shoulder was quite out of action.

So it really dealt quite a big blow to be physically as well as emotionally.

Strength wise, i wasn't able to do very much for my upper body.

Mentally, I just somehow lost a whole lot of spirit.

Then for some amazing miraculous reason, I started to recover, FAST.

One and a half months ago, I was pretty sure, I wouldn't be in the running for the Opens.

Weights being pulled were simply not there yet.

However, right now, I'm just a couple of pounds shy of my previous maxes.

Which in turn translates to my shoulders pretty much being at a 100%.

So yes, just a week ago, I signed up for the opens.

Unprepared. Completely unprepared.

I signed up for the Opens.

Why? I mean, I haven't been really focusing and dialing down the extra metcons.

I haven't been working as intensely as previous years.

So why bother?

I realized that at the end of the day, the CrossFit Games is really gonna be a test of my fitness.

Right here, right now, how fit am I?

How capable am I of certain tasks? No matter my current physical state.

But that's life isn't it?

There isn't gonna be any big sign boards telling you to prepare for a big ordeal coming your way.

It just happens.

And when it does, how're you gonna respond to that?

Are you gonna face up to the challenges or flee completely?

The Opens is upon us, I'm facing that head on.

Irregardless of how I perform, how well or how badly I do.

I'm gonna be happy and thankful that I'm given this opportunity to do so.

CrossFit Games Opens 2014.

Let's get it on!

Cross-fit #147 Attention

There's a kid in all of us.

We all love to move, jump, throw, run and do things that kids all like to do.

And it's not exactly a bad thing. Just like kids, seeing some people do things they never thought they could, makes it all worth it.

However, just like kids, we adults sometimes have the attention span of kids as well.

Ever had a few moments where you just came back from a rough day of work.

Walked in to the box and gosh the workout is extremely tough.

And to add to the fire, it's technical too.

The movements need to be carefully taught before executed.

And now you grow impatient. Then you do the one thing that is so natural.

You switch off. You begin looking around, playing around with your own weights and bars without really paying attention.

However, its the minor details and attention you give that would really help in producing a great athlete in you. It's the attention you give that will prevent you from being injured.

Just like kids, we all love to have fun.

Sometimes, we take it overboard.

Then we get hurt, we come home crying and complaining about this teacher or that.

However, instead of being kids, now we're adults. We aren't exactly in the position to go home to mummy or daddy. Then what do we do? We take it upon ourselves and just not show up altogether.

Each step of the way, we have to learn to pay attention to the simplest of instructions, no matter how mundane, there's always something new to learn or better still, remember.

Cross-fit #146 The habit

"I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half of the things you do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for profit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
I am Habit"

Habits is the root of commitment to a lifestyle or anything at all in life.
Your life is effectively determined by it.
In the small and big things.
From hygiene to business.
From lifting to walking posture.
Habit forms the basis for success and it's going to be so especially in Crossfit.

Form the habit of walking up to the bar with the same procedure every single time.
Form the habit of mentally cueing in your head when it does get tiring.
Form the habit of simply showing up day after day even after a totally smashed day.
Habits like these make the progress easier, it makes the ride less painful.

Similarly, habits form the basis of any successful individual out there.
Do a quick Google and you'l notice many habits of successful people and the small little things that they do.
Notice that, the habits aren't big noticeable ones.
Most crucial habits are the small ones. Those that go unnoticed.
But those habits are the ones that will bring discipline, maturity and confidence in your life.

Jesus had the habit of praying daily, even when he was so tired in the garden of Gethsemane.
Because of this habit, he had the mental capacity to deal with the other issues which needed more drive.
Form good habits.
Because they're going to determine, You.

Cross-fit #145 Caution vs Fear

In the midst of rapidly recovering from my injury, I feel like I'm just starting out all over again.
I find myself re-learning movements, re-learning the basics of basics.
And excelling at them, even though they're darn simple.
Then there're movements which are just ground-breaking, those which I (Kinda) never thought I was going to do ever again, or at least not in the near future.
Things like Snatching, Jerking, Toes To Bar or Muscle Ups.
I recall doing them and being in utter amazement at how great God is.
But of course, there's always that fear in the back of my head.
So many, what-ifs....
What if I fall and injure myself? What if I snatch and somehow dislocate my shoulder?
So much fear.

Of course, I went into those movements because I was given the green light by none other than Coach.
He encouraged (Forced) me to do them.
So after succeeding, there's still that sense of fear.
Coach asked, "Any pain? Any at all?"
The response was, "No, but I'm scared, really scared".
Coach replied, "It's not fear, it is now caution and you need to be cautious".

I realized that there's really a fine line between being cautious and being fearful.
Being cautious is to take extra care, to pay extra attention to every detail that is in a movement. It focuses and brings out the best while pushing the limits bit by bit.
Being afraid, simply just causes you to be all over the place. You keep thinking of the problem, such that there's a good chance that it might just actually occur. You focus on the problem not the solution.
We should be cautious and not afraid.
In our movements, approach to Crossfit and even to life.
Be cautious of a workout, know that it is going to be spicy but give the appropriate attention to the smallest of details to make you succeed. Being afraid just causes you to hesitate and might even "fear-out" from doing it altogether.
Be cautious in life, be aware of your surroundings and your environment you're working in. Be aware of the fine points in that big presentation. Don't be afraid because that'll just cause you to stumble.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Even in our relationship with God.
Live life, not just as one whom is afraid of God and the consequences that might arise because you sin.
But to know and have Godly fear, to be aware that his presence is here and to live life because you want to do it right, not because of the potential downfalls.
We all live for the Glory of God in our lives. So when the time comes and we have to actually make certain decisions to live it right, are we going to do so because we're afraid of going to hell? Or are we doing so because we want to please God.
The mental state of both approaches are so similar but are in fact, very different.

Live life differently.
Not being afraid, because living in fear or things isn't going to help you grow.
Live life with caution and embrace that God-given freedom you have.

CROSS-fit #144 The little battles

Social media, advertising and marketing have sensationalized the big battle.

You see the big games on the court or field. You see clips of big dunks and big lifts.

You see the big battles and big victories.

Little do they know that the big battles have already been decided weeks before it has even begun

The media has perverted the way someone actually achieves success

it begins in the small battles and the big one is just the one tipping point of it all.

It's the little things in your life that count, not the small ones.

The BIG battles could be, Making that big Clean or Snatch.

It could be the big business deal which is about to be clinched.

But really, the important moments are the small ones.

Just turning up day after day, is a victory in itself.

Deciding to show up, deciding to make a conscious decision to push yourself daily.

Not giving up when you're tired, not from the workout or from your job, but deep down inside in your spirit.

That's a small victory.

It's these small victories which make a man.

Rich Froning wasn't made overnight. I'm sure he had many small battles.

Live life like Christ, fight those small battles day after day, to make yourself count for Christ.

Fight the temptation, that nudging thought in your head, it might be a small battle, but win them all.

CROSS-fit #143 Complacency

It's the root of all evil in Crossfit.
Complacency quickly kills of any gains by any athlete or trainer.
It reduces you from a well established individual to one whom can't hold much anymore.
When someone thinks that, "I'm pretty good, I think I'm there".
Is where the fall really begins.

When you start being lazy and treating your training sessions as 'just another workout'.
When you start taking the presence of your coach and your fellow athletes for granted.
When you start thinking that you're grown up enough to live your life without any guidance (Spiritually).
Then it's the start of ego, pride creeping in.
When these come into the picture it isn't pretty.
It's written right smack outside the box in Crossfit Singapore.
"Leave your ego at the door".

Why? Why no ego or complacency in the box?
With ego, you turn a blind eye to your own faults, you begin to notice the faults of others instead.
You begin to think that you're probably stronger and fitter than everyone here.
The downhill descend to injury is what awaits you.

Leave ego or complacency at the door.
Hang on, lemme change that.
Leave ego or complacency outta your life. Period.

CROS-Fit #142 Now that you're healed, what's next?

We all pray for that miracle, that one miracle in out lives.

For the sake of illustration, let's take the oh so tender shoulder as an example.

So I've been praying for healing and for it to get better (It's really getting better, bit by bit, Praise God!)

But what I realized was that after I do get better, I'm really blessed to be surrounded by people who know injuries like that, whom know what you can or cannot do and how to get it stronger than it was before.

But for some people, it's really the opposite.

There're people whom pray for healing and when they get it, they jump straight in to lift heavy again, with no change in technique or mindset and what happens? Yeah, you can guess what happens....

We all pray for healing, and when we do get the healing, we go right back in to our lifestyle which led to that injury to begin with.

Say you've been having diabetes all this while and you somehow managed to overcome it, miraculously.

Then you go back to work and change not one bit in your lifestyle.

Then you contract diabetes again and curse God along the way.

Do you see the strange way we humans tend to treat our lives.

When we finally get our healing, what's next?
Are you gonna go back to work straight away, sit down in front of a desk and put your body in a bad position? Or are you going to get moving daily and get engaged in activities to prevent that injury or sickness?

I'm not trying to be a heretic here. But sometimes, I look at people whom raise their hands when theys ay they want healing in their bodies, I look at them and really wonder.

Do you really really want it?

If you get it, gosh you're gonna set yourself up for another injury coming back, then oh the cycle repeats.

Maybe that's what Jesus referred to when he said that "He could not do many miracles here due to their lack of Faith". (maybe something else, but hey, it's my interpretation of it)

Set up a plan for yourself.

Think, right now, when God does heal me, what am I going to do differently?

I got sick, I got injured for a reason. Something, somewhere, in my lifestyle went wayward.

It's as simple as that.

So think of a plan, think of a recovery plan for yourself.

Pushing it a little farther.

Maybe that's why God doesn't bless us with all the wishes we have in our prayer list.

Probably because the moment we're given it in front of our eyes.

We simply don't know what to do with it.

Blessings? Sure! Now that I've got it, erm.... Now what?

We all have to take that step back and be prepared for our blessings.

Prepare in Faith, prepare to succeed, set yourself up for that and not just to waste the blessings God has given you/

So students, God has given you your A's. What're you gonna do with that?

Working adults, you got your big break, that big promotion, what next? What're you gonna do with that?

Your response will dictate how far that blessing will go.

Your response will probably dictate the next blessing that is gonna come your way really soon.

Now that you're healed.

Now that you're blessed.

What's next?

CROSS-fit #141 Live NOW

There's always a big tendency for everyone to dream and dream big!

On the flip side, there's also a tendency for people to continually live in the past.

The former speaks of people living in the hopeful glories.

The latter speaks of people living in their previous victories.

However, don't do both.

I'm not denying that it isn't good to live by Faith, to believe in the things unseen.

But some people push that a little too far.

People begin to guide their lives based on how they were in the past.

Or they guide their lives based on how they want to be.

Upon rehab for my shoulder, I've been rather impatient.

I've regained quite a significant amount of range of motion and am able to load it just a little.

Just when I wanted to push it a little.

A friend reminded me, to live in the NOW.

Don't treat your shoulder like it's all healthy and good in the past.

Don't treat it like it's already recovered in the future.

Treat your shoulder as it is.

Take it in and face up to it. Tell yourself that right now, it is injured and you need to treat it differently.

Treat your life as it is.

No matter how wayward or successful it might be, take it in and deal with it.

It may not be in the best of positions but sometimes you just need to work with what you have.

Doing it any other way may just do more harm than good.

Imagine if I rushed my shoulder rehab, how bad it would've been.

Live your life in the NOW.

Not in the past or in the future.

Because when you do so, you lose sight of the things which need to be done NOW.

These things might just be the make or break for you.

CROSS-fit #140 Lift your hands

We very often, take for granted, the simple joys of life.
We really do, and it's quite sad to see that sometimes.
They say that you never know how much something means to you when you actually lose it.
Yeap, that's what happened to me.

We take for granted, the simple things and we even complain about doing them.
We whine and complain about doing thrusters (oh we hate those, don't we)
We're constantly contemplating whether we should miss the workout if it involves something we don't like.
But now after injuring my shoulder...
I am so envious of everyone who can do anything shoulder related.
I look at those who do pull ups, thrusters, toes to bars and I gaze with jealousy.
You don't know how much I wish I could just hop on and crank those reps away.
You have no idea what that means to me and how one would feel.

So it seems that what they say, about how you never know what treasure really is till you lose it...
Is really true.
I've taken for granted, my ability to use my shoulders and I've learnt to appreciate this God given gift.
Not just for my shoulders but even for my legs.

Not just in Crossfit, but even in church.
We so often, take for granted, the ability to raise our hands in worship.
We get lazy and instead of really raising our hands, we take the easy option and rest them on our laps.
They call it a sacrifice of praise for a reason.
It's supposed to be done, especially so, when it's the hardest.
I never knew what that mean till last weekend.
When lifting my hands felt so so so hard.
And the inability to do so crushed me just a little bit more than it normally did.
But there were moments where I was able to summon some flexibility and strength to raise them.
Those moments felt magical, those moments (no matter how many seconds they were), made my day.

So take it from me.
You may not be able to fully understand how I feel (Till you actually go through it)
but maybe this will allow you to understand.
That at every junction in life.
Take some time to smell the flowers and appreciate the small beauties around us.
That's how we become...
"More than conquerors".

CROSS-fit #139 Hello shoulder, it's good to meet you :)

Sometimes in life, you take a fall (Literally).

Some falls leave you with just scars and wounds.

But some, gosh, some leave you with a majorly dislocated shoulder.

Well, yes, that happened to me.

I've been through my fair share of injuries but this....

Most 'falls' result in a shoulder impingement,  sore back, sore wrist, slightly pained knees.

Nothing much, really, nothing that I can't deal with.

This on the other hand brought everything to a whole new level.

This 'fall' was the worst (best) that I've ever had.

It's brought me back down to reality, back down to understanding humility again.

That at the root of everything I do, I'm after all, still human.

The injury has hurt me tremendously, on the inside and out.

But at the heart of it all, there's probably more to gain.

I've learnt to appreciate things a whole lot more.

Right now, I'm limited in terms o mobility and that has greatly affected my lifestyle.

The fear of decrepitude (The loss of human function) has never been more real. 

I've learnt to appreciate the small things we all take for granted.

On the road to recovery, I've also learnt that small steps make a very big difference.

It takes effort, patience and a whole lot of humility to do the proper rehabilitative work.

It's a good time to know my body again.

It's a good time to fix up the many issues my body has had since I was 14.

It's a good time to work on my other weaknesses while taking my shoulder out of the equation.

It's also a good time to reflect on my training, abilities and character.

Some 'falls' may come and go.

but the very cliched saying of "It doesn't matter how hard you fall but how hard you stand back up" has never meant more.

The next few blog posts (Whilst I'm recovering) is dedicated to learning about my body, lifestyle and habits that we all take for granted.

Superheroes have their kryptonite. They do fall once in a while.

But really, what matters...

Is how much of a hero you can still be while climbing back up.

CROSS-fit #138 Layers

Very often, we can layer our lives.
We can classify them in terms of priorities, proximity or even intimacies.
But it is also very common, for our decisions to be layered.

There was a post about values and value judgement a couple of posts ago.
This is taking it a little deeper.
Our reasoning and decisions are very often layered in our heads.
Of course, there's the outer layer, the layer which everyone sees.
"Oh I don't Crossfit cause well, I don't wanna be associated with such a place".
"Or, I don't Crossfit cause I think it's too expensive."
There're reasons or 'excuses' for everything we do in our lives.
And we really do like to pin them on the ones that are the most apparent.
Either that, or we simply want to pin them on the ones which make us feel the best,
We want to pin them on reasons which are within our comfort zone, whereby we don't get challenged.

Peel a couple of layers back and those reasons change.
They become something a bit more intimate. They become a bit more painful.
"I don't Crossfit cause I'm afraid of ..."
For the current athlete whom has had a past. They hate being called this...
"I don't Crossfit cause I'm simply lazy...."
It isn't an easy thing to face. To once be a real professional athlete and be called lazy.
But sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves
So don't take the easy route. Sometimes we all need to take a step back.
To take stock of our own lives and the real reasons we make certain decisions.

There may be a 100 reasons.
Of that 100 reasons, 99 could be legit reasons but they may be legit excuses.
Often there's the 1 reason that, deep down inside, is the real factor.
Don't blame the minority for the majority.
Because once that single 1 reason has been addressed, the 99 fall away.

Yeah, there'll be many reasons for many things in our lives, in work, passion, family and even your walk with God.
"I can't cause I don't have any more spare time."
"I can't because the people there aren't my type,"
"I can't because it's just too out of the way."
Maybe that real layer is,
"I don't Crossfit because..."
"I don't go to my Cell Group meetings because...."
"I don't eat dinner with my parents because...."

Take a step back and let's focus on that one reason.

CROSS-fit #137 What are we telling our kids

The few complaints (few but still largely irritating) I get from others when I ask em to do Crossfit.

"It's too expensive".

Yeah, it's 200 bucks per month, which really seems like alot.

But you dissect it a little deeper, it's very likely 200 dollars you can easily spare.

I see people willing to spend that same 200 (Probably even more) on eye candy gyms which don't teach you anything and the only benefit that, that gym has over the box is well, massive mirrors, a tv and showers.

But beyond just talking about where you're spending your cash.

Let's talk about our kids or rather, the next generation.

Let's talk about what we're telling them and teaching them via our actions.

Here in sunny Singapore, we are willing to spend the same 200 dollars for a tuition teacher whom comes once a week, for 2 hours. Making it a total of 8 hours.

You're paying 200 dollars for a 'private' lesson for only 8 hours.

And I'm gonna get alot of hate but many of these teachers (Unless they're ex school teachers) aren't exactly trained to teach. They don't know how the kid is supposed to react to certain cues and lesson plans etc.

I know I' generalizing but this is rampant out there, tuition teachers who can't really teach but claim they can, simply because of their stellar grades?

Most kids get these tuition teachers and yes, they do learn.

But when asked, why don't you let your kid join, say Crossfit kids?

It's going to be cheaper than tuition and you get more value out of it.

Your kid will be able to meet like-minded children, have a ton of fun, learn how to keep fit and movement from a very young age which will likely allow him or her become a potential athlete in future?

Basically, your kid will be allowed to 'play' in a very educational environment.

The common reaction?

"Fitness? Sports? Play? No, please NO!"

"Can these things get my son into a University? Studies first, fitness later"

"Letting them learn such things won't help them get their A's right? Forget about it"

I'm not trying to hard sell Crossfit here, don't send them to Crossfit, send them to some track class which suits you better.

But what I'm trying to say is, what on Earth are we telling our kids?

We are telling them that getting grades is more important than your health or play.

That working your ass off is more important than keeping fit or having a balance in life.

It may not just be fitness, but it may be Sunday school, or it may be family time.

What are you teaching your kids?
That work on the weekends, sacrificing family time, is more important than family itself?

Hopefully, everyone sees this.

That it isn't just about the grades or climbing up the social ladder, it's about every aspect of life.

it's about the balance you need to have for yourself and for the next generation.