Working out the way your body works is as fun as it is productive. For sessions of stamina, shifting between different modes of activity is a fantastic way for me to keep my body enhanced and my mind entranced. Typically, my routine involves alternating days of hiking, swimming, biking, swimming, hiking, swimming, biking … et cetera.
A few days ago, on the first day of the New Year, my pursuit of all things resolute led me to the base of the challenging east trail up our island’s Sleeping Giant. Yes, it’s the shortest of the three blazed trails to the summit, but that’s precisely why I chose it … it’s the toughest. Ascending the most vertical path to the mountain’s picturesque peak presents the utmost physical challenge, but yesterday’s workout also provided a psychological exercise.
Nearly at the top, out of breath (and fully in the moment), there it stands … a mighty tree, its branches adorned by massive, beautiful fruit. This hala tree is a tropical masterpiece, often found on the ridges of many of Kauai’s stunning hikes.
The hala fruit, with its exotic appearance and versatile applications in cuisine and culture, uniquely blends aesthetic appeal with practical significance. It also added a special dimension and diversion to my first adrenaline-laden adventure of the new year.
These fruits are gigantic and, as I pondered upon my precarious perch, their magnificence reminded me of how they mirror the colorful gifts and vibrant talents that we are all able to receive abundantly … and should share generously. YOU, my friend, have amazing gifts and talents to offer the world this year … the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
All of these wonderful words of positivity were flowing through my brain while my body acknowledged my healthy reality and hearty actuality. Huffing and puffing (and groaning and moaning), as my lungs seared and muscles burned, felt, well, fantastic!
There can be a pleasure in the pain. Yes … I hike the steepest slopes for this purpose, on purpose. And herein lies the little lesson for 2025.
If you ever find yourself in a tough spot, perhaps like restarting a fitness regimen (yet again), just remember that it’s transient and temporary. Where there is an abundance of fruit, you’ll often find mighty hedges of protection, strikingly distinct and sharp. Consider the thicket of thorns surrounding this tropical Hala beauty.
These “purposeful prickles,” much like the persistent challenges in our lives, help foster eventual “happy harvesting,” the growth and blossoming of the fruit. Sharp, on-point guards play a crucial role in safeguarding the big, beautiful fruit, protecting it from critters, creatures and stealthy scavengers.
Similarly, the challenges we face, our metaphorical thorns, are essential for our personal growth. Despite their painful prodding, these challenges are the forces that allow us to blossom into the individuals we are destined to become. The pain, much like the protective thorns, ensures that we fully ripen and sweeten in the process.
So, be thankful for the thorns of life, the trials and tribulations that we encounter. They are not hindrances but stepping stones on the path to discovering our better selves. This process of defining and refining our gifts is an even bigger gift!
Just as these giant fruit trees weather life’s storms and the winds of change with resilience, we, too, need to anchor ourselves with strong roots, grounding ourselves in the solid and stable elements in life.
Maybe you’re restarting your fitness routine this January, a fresh beginning perhaps after a season of inactivity or indulgence. Let’s all embrace our respective purposeful prickles in our combined fitness journeys this month. Perhaps our thorns are the initial struggle to build healthy habits, the “good” soreness that often follows our first few workouts, or even the pangs of certain cravings which we resist.
These “purposeful prickles” are signs that your fruits are ripening, that you’re growing into something truly amazing.
Stand tall! Stand firm! Anchor yourself while weathering life’s storms, and let the winds of change nurture the growth of your gifts. Awaken the Sleeping Giant within. Find peace in the pain, knowing that you have the stamina to climb life’s steepest trails and the strength to harvest the happiness that awaits at the summit.
I look forward to meeting you at the top, with a healthy dose of hope! And that’s a promise! I look forward to hearing from you soon(er or later) and am always here to help!
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Doug Jones earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland and has served professionals and personalities as a concierge fitness trainer for decades. As a resident of Kauai and Connecticut, he has helped millions of people learn the secrets of fitness and fat loss, both online and in person. To submit your questions, or for more information, call (808) 652-6453 or visit www.DougJonesFitness.com
