Humility

One of things I hear a lot from individuals new to CrossFit is how humbling of a workout it is.  Even veteran athletes get crushed by the intensity at which they move steel, iron, rubber, and flesh.  Sometimes, when we are a big fish in a little pond, it's easy to forget that CrossFit is a physical journey for the Self and we inflate the ego in competition over our Teammates.  But most of the time for nearly all of us, our training is focused inward to improve the Self.  And when we train so hard it crushes the body, it simultaneously crushes the ego (the mind).  

In humility, we find oneness.  When we are in a humble state we don't put ourselves other another and therefore meet each other in openness, a sense of equality, and with oneness.  This is the power of the Team.  In the Team we look for others to assist in growth.  As a Team we subdue the ego and ask for assistance, or notice a Teammate who struggles and offer our assistance freely.  Have you noticed the difference between a CrossFitter who trains with a community and a CrossFitter who trains in their garage or alone in a big-box?  The rate of growth and development that comes from training with a Team is exponential relative to the growth in training alone.  The reason for this difference in athletic growth isn't just due to having a coach but having a Team as well.  

In the article below, the topic is how the more humble you are the more likely you are to step up and assist your friends.  Some people mistake humility for shyness or visa versa.  This is not the case, and the article below does a good job of explaining that.  What we find is that by setting the ego aside and recognizing the oneness of life, that same humility from within manifests itself in acts of assistance and selflessness.

I like this article for two reasons.  First, because as we all know, our first rule is Leave Your Ego at the Door.  CrossFit is humbling to the mind and body because it forces you to work outside your capacity.  By doing so you realize your mental capabilities (what you THINK you can do) and your physical capacity (what your body can ACTUALLY currently do) are not the same.  This is humbling to the ego (the mind).  The article suggests that when we increase humility, we increase compassion.  I like that.

The second reason I like the article is because it is a study of personality, not situation.  In other words it's not the situation that dictates how people act, but instead it's how they think that dictates action.  The difference may be slight but the implications are vast.  There is some Memetics and Spiral Dynamics at work here.  

Humble Friends to the Rescue

"If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem." - Jiddu Krishnamurti 

Comments

[Jenz]

I like it:)

[Kevin KB]

Have we identified a time on Friday when CF games competitors are going to do the WOD? I'd like to do it with a couple others for a bit more push.

[Instructor A.]

Mandy and Meesh are going at 1600. Serge is going at 1800. Thats all I know and if Im wrong they can correct me here. Anybody else know when they are gonna workout?

[schmitt]

I am going to see if I can make it for the Friday afternoon Games WOD.

Can we bump some serious tunes for the AMRAP7?

[Kellams]

Great write up, Kevin (: