The LEARNER

Discipline, a word I recently truly understood, I knew the meaning, but never the real essence of the word itself.

I say this because i have undergone what i describe as… one the most trying trials i would ever encounter in my life. I was training… Rather, studying to pass the medical technology board exams. To be frank, it was grueling, not only was the habit of studying foreign to me, but i had to cram four years of medical facts in less than half a year. I wished so bad that the “matrix chips” or the “limitless” pills existed, everything would have been a tad easy, but you can only bend reality in your mind, i was free to dream inside my castle.

And there i was staring at the heap of books, endless pages that seemed to laugh and glare back, as if taunting me to try and finish 1 of them… anticipating… for me to crash and burn.

The first few weeks were draining, physically, emotionally and spiritually. But as in discipline, resilience and patience is a MUST. I wrote this blog because I wanted to record the realizations I had going to the gym as part of my daily routine when i was reviewing in manila for 4 months, and it led me to compare the similarities of the discipline in the gym as in life. In working out, you have to have a GOAL, and in order to reach your goal you must have INSPIRATION (it is important to differentiate the two).

You begin by participating in movements that stresses the muscles of your body in order for it to gain muscle and burn adipose, that’s the general idea. But most people give up after a few days after feeling the 2 day post muscle soreness. Again, it tests you how determined you are. Just like in life, it gives you obstacles that challenge everything that you are, hard as they may be, God does not give us tests that we cannot overcome, and we start by accepting it and moving forward, baby steps if you will. 1 step forward is still a step closer.

and then there will be a phase in which i would like to call the “Plateau phase” when you keep on working out but nothing seems to change for quite some time, in this stage I learned FAITH, and PATIENCE. for i know that even though i may not see results right away, i know that they are there and that i have to have faith and be patient.

Knowing when to rest and when to give it my all was another valuable lesson i learned in the gym. by knowing how to pace yourself and avoiding the burnout in the gym is the same in life, that’s why God created the Sabbath i guess.

And finally, RESILIENCE. When even though you’re not in the mood to go the gym you go anyway because it’s good for you and you know it’s only your mind trying to play tricks on you. you are your worst enemy.

I realized that, going to the gym truly helped me with a lot of things, valuable lessons that i can adapt in my daily life… and i truly believe that it was one of the factors that helped me develop the proper discipline to pass the board exams. it may not work for everyone, but it did for me. There are many more activities that teach us the same basic principles in life. We just take them for granted.

As we grow old we gain responsibilities, these responsibilities won’t go away, they pile up as we go on.. all the playing, drinking , and happy go lucky attitude can no longer be tolerated, we can’t be teenagers forever no matter how hard we fight it off, if given a chance? everyone would choose to remain teenagers forever! think about it? all the fun,drinking, careless days lying around when your bored? no worries whatsoever. plus you don’t worry about money that much,I feel pity to those people who didn’t enjoy their teenage years or their college life, but don’t get me wrong, you can still enjoy even if your studying hard just get your priorities straight, (i should have done that) don’t wait for that moment in time when you ask yourself what could have been, it only means your doubting the way you lived your life .

That’s why it’s important to do what you love as a living, there is nothing more achieving in you professional journey than to love your job. no one forces you to work hecK!there may be even overtime. “growing old is inevitable, growing up is on option” so you’re blessed if you love what your doing, and being a like a teenager at that! ;)

if you want to be successful then you have to move, if you have ideas just don’t let them be mere imaginary achievements,ideas are like matches,they’re only useful once you light them.

Follow me on twitter @leogelbarbasa thanks!  good to be back :)