Exercise & the importance of struggle
Over the course of my entire life, I have experienced struggle. From my very early days in grade school, where math and reading came difficult to me, to playing sports and understanding the hard work that was necessary to succeed and be great. I went from resource room math and English, to honors and AP courses my senior year of high school, and I owe a great deal of that success and perseverance to understanding that struggle builds character. I relished in beating the odds and accomplishing small feats of success. My early days of failure and let downs taught me that failing was not the end; that life would most certainly go on. I was not afraid to fail and take chances and this practice was supported by my mother, who I owe a great deal to for not holding me back or getting me an aide. Parts of my family have been decimated by drug abuse and I’ve lost several people close to me to the scourge that is drug abuse. The trauma of their losses affected me but because of early struggle I have been able to heal and learn to live with those ugly tragedies. Physical struggle to me, is just as important as mental struggle, and intense exercise does not only relieve stress but it can change brain chemistry. And part of my ability to cope with some of the harsher things ive gone though in my life comes down to those principals of struggle, whether it be lifting weights, or football or track or wrestling, the physical struggle and hard work that was necessary to advance and get better teaches lessons that can be applied to life and that includes trauma. This concept of struggle I think applies to this course because too many times it seems people are willing to just jump on the next drug to help them feel better or blame others for how they’re feeling, when sometimes it may just take a lifestyle change to start healing. We cannot run from pain, and we cannot block it out with a pill, part of living is feeling, and though it may hurt, and make us scared, running away is never an option.