I love iron. Iron has changed me into a better man; a man with knowledge, power, and most importantly, silent confidence. Through the struggles I’ve endured in the gym, I have gained the strength and the skills necessary to excel in other areas of my life.
Weightlifting was an activity I committed myself to since the early age of 14. I was a rather chubby kid back then although my weight never really bothered me. Then one day, a physical education push up endurance test instigated a sequence of events that has fundamentally changed me.
There I was, helplessly laying on the floor. I couldn’t even do one push up. Everyone was laughing and giggling, while I was left ashamed and embarrassed. I hated who I had become.
This event ignited within me a burning desire for change. I came to my senses; I was just another fat kid. I no longer wanted to be Frustrated, I did hundreds of crunches to no avail. Instead of a rugged six-pack, I developed a posture problem.
I turned towards my brother for help. He taught me the fundamentals of weightlifting. By training alongside him, I had an epiphany: no effort, no results, plain and simple. Under his guidance, I discovered a new love - my passion for weightlifting.
My first tiny step into the gym was a great leap towards self-actualization. At first, It was tough, to subject myself to such physical torture out of pure vanity. I felt out of place, inferior, and most of all, intimidated. Picking up the tiny dumbbells and struggling with them was a feat of courage. It took determination to overcome the humiliation and ignore the side-long glances and muted laughs of others. This sense of insecurity overwhelmed me; I felt as if I was suffocating under the pressure. Indeed, many times I considered giving up.
However, time after time, my brother pushed me back on track. Over time, I gained a greater understanding of weightlifting. I was no longer motivated by my vanity, instead I was intrinsically motivated. I wanted to see how far I could go if I committed myself to it. I was my only competitor, constantly striving to outdo myself. In order to become a more competent lifter, I actively learned about the discipline, reading academic journals, combing through online forums, and consulting teachers and trainers at school. Lifting was no longer a fixed routine I blindly followed, but a pursuit of self-learning and a exercise in self-awareness. Furthermore, I no longer seek the recognition of others, for I am self-validated. I am changed.
Through weightlifting, I have developed attitudes and skills that have helped me advance in other areas of life. It has made me a much more proactive individual with far more determination and perseverance. It has changed my fundamental capacity to undertake new challenges. Before my encounter with weightlifting, I would often whine about the amounts of homework I received. However, after I acquired this healthy lifestyle I no longer whined. I embrace these challenges for I love the feeling of conquering a new obstacle. In fact, I now want to be intellectually stimulated. My sense of focus and determination is transferred to everything else I do.
I recently built myself a computer from scratch. I researched and purchased each individual component from the monitor to the motherboard. I even built my own heat-sink (a device used to cool the central processing unit in the computer) by re-engineering and welding together two existing heat sinks. Before I had started lifting, I never would have had the tenacity and willpower to do these things. Now, not only have I built my own computer, I am building them for students at school, and have a small, but profitable business.
Through unfortunate elbow tendonitis caused by over-training, I have also learned the importance of moderation and self-awareness. It is not just about training hard; it is about training smart. My injury was a lesson in humility. I learned to train not with my ego but with my intellect. Though lifting originally brought me the confidence and strength in and out of the gym, my injury taught me to be self-aware and careful.
Iron, is a metal that is forged by combining a certain combination of minerals under intense heat in order to produce a strong and resilient metal. Through pumping iron, I have put myself mentally and physically through a similarly intense process. Now, informed and transformed, I have achieved a new level of health. I have since earned myself the quality of unspoken confidence.