Being really engaged in the moment is sometimes a very hard thing to do.

Back in the competitive days, getting amp'd up for a game, or a lift, or anything had a special moment for me.  A ritual if you will.  I have spoken of the double chin strap, that when the second buckle gets snapped it was a signal to me that it was FOCUS time.  But things in the crosshairs of my face mask and attempt to obliterate the obstacles when I "got tone".  Once back on the sideline, the buckle would get unsnapped and I could carry on a coherent conversation with a wide range of subjects.  Yes, even on an ACTIVE sideline.

When it is time to lift, the moment I dig my feet into position and squeeze the bar, all things become irrelevant except THAT lift.  When I let go, I "LET GO" and again return to form.

Today, not ONCE but THREE times, conversations began and I could feel the stories were going to need foreshadowing, drama build, comic reliefs and other expanded communicative techniques that I didn't really need to have happen, because I was in another mind set and needed to finish major tasks at hand.

However, since STAYING IN THE MOMENT is a great thing to practice, because REALLY, there is nothing more important than what is directly in front of you at the time...I snapped my other buckle and dug my feet in.  I stayed focused on the words, the facial expressions, the tone of the dialog, without so much as  a blink.

I did not formulate a response to the person's dialog until he/she was finished.  Completely...breath taken, eyes dropped.

I then kept myself to as short and potent an answer I could give.

It was ok that I got home late.  That I almost began serving up from the "B" side of the menu, because I had stopped and made the person speaking become more important in my day, than my day.

I think the person felt the importance and then kept things moving as we completed each training session with a higher degree of motivation and passion.

 

Friday's are wonderful days to SQUAT!

 

Box Squat w/ Mastodon Bar: 10x5x75% of max

Prowler: 5x30yards x 140 lbs on the sled

GHR: 2x20