20 Aug Ed Sheeran, The CrossFit Games and You
What do Ed Sheeran, The CrossFit Games and you have in common? Let’s find out together.
A few weeks ago my friend, Abby, came to visit, and she is a huge CrossFitter. While she was here, the CrossFit Games were on television. This is an event where all the top CrossFit people in the world compete to be named the fittest person on the planet, and she got me hooked on watching it.
There were roughly 15 events for both men and women, and for some of those events, the contestants didn’t know what they’d be doing until right before it was time to do it. How long do you think it would take you to ROW a marathon? That is 42,000 meters … ON A ROWER! That requires someone to row consistently for 2-4 hours (at the heightened CrossFit level, not mine). That was only one event.
Then on Saturday night, I had the opportunity to see Ed Sheeran in concert for the second time in just over a year. To put that into perspective, I’ve seen exactly three concerts in the last 10 years and two were him. (The other was Pink,who could be added to this list too). This time, the concert was in Los Angeles, so the round trip was 14 hours to watch him play for two hours. Am I that big of an Ed Sheeran fan? Not really. I like his songs but I don’t know every word, and I don’t keep up on news of him. I sing along to his songs on the radio like I do to lots of other singers and bands.
So, why did I get hooked on the CrossFit Games, and why would I spend 14 hours to go see Ed Sheeran again?
The answer – PASSION AND COMMITMENT!
I watched the CrossFit athletes put everything on the line for their passion, and even those who got 40th place left it all out there. When it was clear that they weren’t going to win, they didn’t give up. They kept pushing themselves. Leaving judgement at the door, whether you like CrossFit or think they are nuts (which I probably muttered to Abby at least 20 times that week), this is just about being an observer of pure passion and commitment. That inspires me. Does it inspire you?
How does Ed Sheeran come into all of this? During the concert, I wondered if they were going to have to carry him out when he was done. He gave us everything he had for two solid hours. My connection with Ed is all about his energy, his passion, and his commitment to his craft, his audience and himself. I was so inspired a year ago when I saw him in concert that I was all about getting another dose of it Saturday night. He had gotten better too. He didn’t rest on his success. He kept working and improving. That inspires me. Does it inspire you?
So, now, what do you have in common with Ed Sheeran and the CrossFit games? I don’t know. That’s one you will have to answer for yourself. Do you have things you are passionate about and committed to? Are you being an amazing leader and consciously working on your leadership abilities every day? Are you achieving that by working on yourself too? Are you being the best parent and making time with your kids a priority and learning the best ways to communicate with them? What inspires you? Are you getting by, or are you truly making the most of your time here?
As for me, all I can say is Ed, The CrossFit Games and I have more in common today than we did yesterday. And we’ll have more in common tomorrow than we do today. Why? I’ll keep using the inspiration from them to fuel my own passion and commitment for everyone on this planet realizing that JOY is a personal choice and every day is a gift. I love my life, and I want you to love yours!
If passionate and committed aren’t two words that you would currently use to describe yourself, let’s talk about how to unlock that. Email me at barb@high5leadership.com to schedule a call.