16 - How My Speeding Ticket Can Inspire a Change in Fitness Perspective

On this very special episode of the Fitlandia podcast, Christa pulls inspiration from real-life as she recounts her tale of a recent speeding ticket and how it impacted her life. Slow Down During a trip from Portland to Bend, Oregon Christa was stopped on the highway for going about 20 miles over the speed limit. During the seemingly eternal period while the officer was running her plates, Christa was shaking, her heart was racing, and she was worried about what would happen next. She then took a moment to pause and reflect on what had just happened and she owned it. It was her responsibility, and there was nobody to blame but herself. It then occurred to her that she had an opportunity to check her own perspective, so she took it as a message from the universe to slow down. After handing Christa the ticket (and giving her a hundred dollar break) the policeman told her "I hope your day gets better" in an apologetic tone. What Christa wanted to say (but didn't realize until after the exchange) was that her day was awesome. She was alive, the policeman showed her kindness and generosity, and she ended up with a great message from the universe to slow down. Trying To Find A Balance So how does that relate to fitness? This experience served as a reminder to Christa that we have choices. Sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control, the only thing that we truly have control over is our reaction to those events. Fitness is no different. "Life is an experience, but we can choose what our perspective of it is." You can look at your body and default to a doom and gloom mindset of 'this will never get better,' or you can look at yourself with compassion and mercy. Having the perspective to realize there's imbalance is an invaluable tool. Sometimes it's an imbalance of driving too fast and working too hard. Sometimes it's an imbalance of food and exercise. Sometimes it takes a speeding ticket to grant you that perspective, but the important thing is to recognize it and ask "what can I change to get back into balance?" Find a way to turn negative experiences into something positive, don't let them hold you back, let them strengthen you. Learning experiences like these can completely shift how you live your life. If you've ever found yourself unhappy with your body or your life, you're already on the first step towards this shift, and what you do with that new perspective moving forward is the real question.  Explore more on our site at fitlandiafitness.com. Start your free 2-week trial and get unlimited access to all member benefits today.