Continuum Performance

BE ABOUT IT

Embrace the Suck
Eric Belliveau • November 6, 2019

Embrace the suck, rise and grind or suck it up buttercup. I think almost all of us have heard one of these expressions before. There are still many ways in which people articulate this same point. 

This blog today is not about the mental or physical toughness that surrounds something but rather the perception of it all and how we put things into a space. HOW you express yourself is going to manifest…

When approaching a difficult task or something that is going to demand a lot of you, we can all agree we need to be in the right “head space”. When we articulate “embrace the suck” it associates to the negative. The mental perception of the situation is that of survival, rushing to a conclusion or just hoping it isn’t as bad as we’ve made it out to be in our mind. But what about the journey?

What is it that you’re doing and WHY?! If the situation is truly that unbearable, nauseating, upsetting or unpleasant. Don’t embrace any of it. Immediately work to create solutions and if not possible remove yourself from this toxic environment.

 


"If a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out. 

If it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not

perceive the danger and will be cooked to death." 

 

I would like to use one of the most obvious examples for this platform. Someone pushing themselves physically for, “the it”. I mean, this is a fitness and wellness blog. A heavier lift, faster mile, farther stretch, landing a complex movement pattern, etc. To be “in it” (training for this) you have made the commitment to yourself to enhance athletic performance and you have established certain criteria to get there.

If ‘it’ is constantly looked at as being painful, negative and wanting it over than your brain is going to develop an aversion/wanting to avoid “it”. You’re not enhancing, you’re establishing the foundation of stagnation and a lack of results. This can look like rushing through repetitions while lifting, not being mindful of how your body moves or counting down the seconds just wishing it to be over. The result is missing out on the elation of adaptation.

It’s not about embracing the suck it’s about celebrating that your body can complete the task at hand. Whether that is completing a proper squat, your first push-up, running repeat 300s or completing a marathon… you’re able to accomplish ‘it’ and self- acknowledgment from a place of positivity is critically important here.

This isn’t just something that starts and stops when we think of physical fitness, no no. This spills over into our personal lives ALL THE TIME. If we can simply redirect the conversation we have with ourselves, we can transform the environment itself. If you proclaim that you “have to go make dinner” this immediately becomes a negative. Being mindful of what words are expressed and proclaiming that you are preparing dinner and making something nourishing for yourself than THAT carries with it a positive association. Some other quick ones:  

I get to pick so-and-so up at the airport and excited to catch up with them on the ride.

I am attending a conference on __________ and excited to learn some different views.

I’m bringing _______ to their game on _______ looking forward to:

  • Catching up with other spectators/parents
  • Making hot chocolate to beat the cold
  • Seeing another game because they enjoy me being there so much


Personally, I work on this language every day. I am asked often as to how work is going or how the businesses is doing. I’m very careful when crafting my response to ensure that people understand that I love it. Every day is ever-changing and filled with physical and mental challenges and I wake so thankful that I get to pursue my passion each day. I am fortunate to connect with hundreds of individuals and indirectly impact thousands every single day. I get tired, I get overwhelmed, and I experience struggle to find balance. But one thing I am mindful of is to never complain about how fortunate I am to be where I am. It is an honor.

So, my challenge is to give yourself five minutes at the start of the day. Reflect on what it is that you have in front of you, WHY it is on your plate and what would you like to gain from it. Then craft your language very particularly and ensure that those around you can support YOU.

People are inclined to support you. If you’re negative they’re inclined to mimic your energy.  If your language is positive they will not only enhance that, you may instill some self-reflection thus redirecting their point of view and infuse positivity in their own day.

Be the reason someone smiles today. Not because of what your day is about but rather allowing them to find the happiness in what they’re up too. #Beaboutit

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.

The Meat Hangover

By Eric Belliveau • October 7, 2020
When it comes to taking meat out of your diet, some people have the idea that they will only see positive changes immediately following this choice. While those positive changes are definitely part of the deal, so is an adjustment period for your body.

We're Trying

By Eric Belliveau • September 23, 2020
We were all thrown on this crazy ride together. Emotions were running high but so were patience, empathy, inclusion, and respect. Most of us could rally behind the #WeAreInThisTogether manta. We wanted to do right by each other - donate to charities, lend a hand, check-in on one another. Do our part. As the days turn to weeks and the weeks into months these dispositions decayed rapidly. I know that this Quarantine order has been going on for a long time. I know that a great number of us do not agree on the why. I know an even greater number of us are “over it”. I am painfully aware of the difference of opinions surrounding the pandemic. It is impossible to NOT be aware of this. This leads us all to frustration, anger, resentment, and the feeling that you are not being heard. Very real and very human emotions! It is okay to feel this way. I am not only writing this from the perspective of a fellow struggling human. I do find myself struggling with everything I mentioned above. Not just daily but multiple times a day. My ability to focus has been challenged by my worry. My ability to create time for myself and focus on self-care has been derailed for fear of other things becoming more pressing. I work on this every day. I am not only writing this from the perspective of one of the business owners who were never given a playbook for this. For weeks on end I thought WTF happened to the business and how would our model need to change and remain viable, how each business owner had to either weather a period in which we were completely shut down or allowed to operate under capacity restrictions, etc. The unknown of what the timeline would bring and whether we would be able to continue our dreams or make an extremely difficult decision of not continuing. This still haunts every one of us daily. I AM very much writing this as a service provider! I am writing this as an impassioned human who genuinely loves what I do for a living. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have built a career surrounding something I get excited about every day. I am making a stand for all of us that make their living in the service industry. To the receptionist, hostess, waiter, cook, dry cleaner, teacher, technician, barista, utility worker, automobile service technician… It is truly impossible to be inclusive of everyone here.  No one human mentioned above asked for this ‘situation’ we are in. We are sure as hell trying to provide a level of normalcy, service, care, and happiness to the lives in which we choose to serve. With added restrictions, added expense decreased capacity and the fear of being fined or shut down for doing it incorrectly, everyday.
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