Ex(o)(e)rcise your demons

Pilates, Boxing, yoga, HIIT, hiking, dance, swimming, you name it

Up Down (Do This All Day)

Hi there,

It’s like the saying, Money can’t buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Ferrari.

Five things to share:

1. I got into fitness in 2017 after I got off social media and I couldn’t stomach another evening spent scrolling through the avatars on Reddit, and so when I found a fitness studio that gave free monthly membership in exchange for working the front desk and cleaning up the studio for four hours a week, I joined. I had no money, plenty of time to spare, and feeling isolated without my friends Twitter followers, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to pass the time, and it didn’t hurt to be around people too. It took until 2021 to find my rhythm, to not stop over every and any excuse, and now working out is as routine as brushing my teeth, or taking a shower. And let me tell you, when my demons show up uninvited, in the middle of the day taunting me with how I ain’t all that and a bag of chips, I grab my stuff and head to the gym, and I think, if I can afford a gym membership, the time to work out, the physical ability to lift, pull, push, and jump, then how bad can it really be, huh? And just out of spite, I work out harder on those days; heavier, faster, so focused until I lose touch with reality— Sweat those demons out. Here is what I have learned: Your mind is the first thing to give up, then the spirit follows, but if you keep going, just keep going, darling, your body, the body can go on for far, far longer than you think is possible. And after, before I get in the shower, I look in the mirror and I love what I see, who I have become in choosing to exercise to exorcise over scrolling to repress; Even the demons approve— They smile, they respect the woman who shows up day after day, after day after day after day to face them, to taunt them back with her victory.

2. 

   postsecret.com

3. A quote I want to share with you:

   No matter what time you get out of bed, go for a walk and then work, because the demons hate it when you get out of bed, demons hate fresh air.

   — Ingmar Bergman (Source)

   Demons hate fresh air

4. Embracing Sub-Optimal Relationships

5. A question for you:

   

   (If you don’t have someone you love, why aren’t you looking?

   And if you’ve found someone to love, why aren’t you dancing for joy?

   And if your companion doesn’t suit you, why don’t you become them?

   And if the lute won’t cry out, why aren’t you teaching it the proper way?)

That’s all for this week!

Thank you for reading, and share with anyone you think may benefit.

Until next time,

Mehret