HARD THINGS

When starting position doesn’t define one’s finish

Each bite of food was a fight with the inevitable. As he choked, mid-chew – that’s it. Dinner’s over.  Four to five times a day, it was the same routine. It doesn’t matter what it was, if it’s not liquid, the ending of the story got written before it began, every time.   

The army crawl was perfected, despite only having one dominant and fully usable arm leading the charge. The right side is merely along for the ride. It’s not surprising that few of us ever take the time to imagine what having one side of our body rendered largely immobile would do to us: psychologically or physiologically. For this one though, it’s what is.

Everything is fucking harder. Everything will be fucking harder.  Walking came, with braces & hours and hours of work.  Language came, delayed and impacted.  Cognitive ability has been impacted, thus limiting potential but that impact will continue to reveal itself when delayed milestones come and go. While although infant & toddler brains possess a unique ability to re-organize most functions, now, we still know of no way to regenerate the brain itself thus creating a lasting effect. 

Within twenty-four hours prior to Bear’s birth, he suffered a hemiplegic perinatal stroke. In essence, he had a major stroke that impacted 60% of the left side of his brain while also having a second minor stroke that impacted the motor function within the right hemisphere of his brain. 

While although it’s unclear which part of the brain is the source of our consciousness, one thing is clear: he is as vibrant as any others. He embraces the hard things with a smile and an infectious laugh.

Watching first hand, the power of grit, determination and a positive disposition enables one to overcome nearly anything.  Bear will only ever know the hard-path. Nothing will come easy. Extra work will define his life.  It already has. When most kids go to the park to have fun and not think about homework, or chores – Bear is working on skills for walking or climbing up a ladder with only the use of one dominant arm.  Does he get angry and frustrated with the extra? Of course he does. In spite or perhaps even because of his limitations, he always resolves to find a way. Determination is a funny thing. What causes one to focus with every ounce of his body, is internally fueled. It’s incredible to watch someone so resolute to get where he needs to go, that by hook or by crook, they get there. Early on, he started to modify his movements in order to achieve his outcome.  The end justifies the means and the means are full of focus and unrelenting drive. 

With this in mind; we must all ask ourselves why we let any number of obstacles become show stoppers in our lives. When faced with difficulties, we must remind ourselves that we always have a choice. We can opt to give up and not even try. Alternatively, we can eagerly look for different approaches to get around and through a given obstacle.  In very simplistic & practical terms as we apply these philosophies to the gym, these obstacles can be manifested by means of particular movements under load or cardiovascular efforts that push one into their anaerobic threshold.  We use tools in the gym to test one’s reaction to an obstacle or challenge. Do they fold like a cheap suit or do they rise to the occasion and leave everything they have on the table? The means do matter toward the end. The effort you’re willing to put forth will be inversely relational to the results you get back. 

When something is hard, did you let your starting position define your outcome – or did you re-write your story?

Written by Bear’s Father and Founding Member: Bryan Osoro