Seeking Joy Under the Streetlights

With a last minute cancellation, YHC picked up the Q at Fallout.  YHC attempted to avoid developing a plan, but my general nature wouldn’t allow me to do so.

We did SSH, IST, toy soldiers, long snappers to warmup.

Before the Pax arrived, YHC wrote in chalk an exercise under each streetlight around the parking lot.  We performed one block exercise and then each Pax took a turn selecting which streetlight to run to.  The choosing Pax did a plank while the other non-choosing Pax performed the exercise written by the streetlight.  We then went back to the launch to perform another block exercise and then the next Pax selected a streetlight.

Exercises consisted of several rounds of burpees, incline merkins, decline merkins, regular merkins, squats, WW2s, LBCs, lunges, and step-ups.

We cooled down with some Mary, which included low flutters, shoulder-touch merkins, and jack-knife LBCs.

I am joyful that Gambini and Snake Eyes posted today.  We had a good conversation after about seeking joy and how important our intentions are.  I find too often that I wallow in the negative when I should be so thankful for all the things I’ve been blessed with in my life.  At Lake Forest Church on Sunday, the message was about Hebrews 12 and discipline, and how we can learn from it, but also that Jesus found the “joy” in the cross.  My supervisor at work always talks about seeking joy which feels particularly difficult with some of the situations that we deal with.  When I mentioned the message from Sunday to him, he said that “Joy is always there… if you look for it.”  And then I saw a clip of Michael Phelps talking about mental health and positive affirmations – he said that when he walks through a doorway, he says something positive that he can be joyful about.  This practice helps him with his depression and anxiety, and it is something that I want to start doing every day. 

The world seems so wrapped up in the negative, constantly telling us why we should be upset or afraid, that we often fail to see the joy that is all around us.  I think of The Force and what he is going through with his mom, but he still brings joy to the workouts and talks about the joyful moments through this difficult time.  And we don’t expect anyone to always be joyful, but for me, I know I need to start highlighting the joy in my life so much more, so I appreciate people like The Force leading by example. 

I am thankful for F3, and working out with Gambini and Snake Eyes brought me joy today.