I know…Nike beat me to it. That tag line works wonders for them, doesn’t it? Well, doesn’t it?
I was in my aerobics class this morning. I’ve been taking and/or teaching aerobics classes for over 30 years…since my college days. It’s a part of my identity. Fitness is important to me. But I’ll be honest. Sometimes I just don’t want to do it. One part of my brain says “Just do it!” and the other part says “Nope.” Today was one of those days.
But I went anyway. Because I made my “Just do it” part louder. I dragged myself to the gym. And what’s worse is that the gym isn’t really all that convenient to get to…it’s 20 minutes away, not close to my normal traffic routes of school, church, home…it’s in the opposite direction. My normal routine is to drop off the kids at school, and head to the gym. This morning, I was tempted to just turn around and go home. I could have just said “Nope” but I heard that other voice say “Just do it.” So I did. I turned right out of the school lot instead of left. I was on my way. Just do it.
I got to the gym just in time for class to start…it was crowded and there were almost no steps left (it’s a step aerobics class) and almost no spots for the steps. I could have just said “Nope”, but I heard the voice “Just do it!” So I squeezed myself in between 2 other women to start the class.
Kathy, the instructor is amazing. She’s a fantastic instructor, in amazing shape, and superbly encouraging and fun. But she has this affection for kickboxing moves in her class, which I don’t like to do. Why? Because I feel like the biggest goober doing them. Most times I’ll do some other move instead. (After all, I’m an instructor, and I know what I’m doing, right? LOL!) I don’t know which is worse…feeling like a goober doing something you don’t like doing, or looking like a goober doing something nobody else is doing. Either way, when she hit the kickboxing part, I heard the voice say “Nope. Do something else.” But then I suddenly heard the louder voice say “Just do it!” So I did. And you know what? Those uppercuts and cross jabs weren’t really all that bad.
Then Kathy starts in on some lunges…side to side dips where you reach to the floor. Wow…these 50year old bones don’t want to dip that low. Maybe I’ll just reach to the step instead. Or maybe just my knees. Maybe I’ll just march in place. Then I heard the voice “Just DO IT!” So I tried it. You know what? It wasn’t all that bad. I did it.
I’m really cooking along in the class now. I’ve been going a solid 35 minutes, my heart rate is up, I’m sweating, my breathing is heavy, and I’m loving it. Yeah, I love to sweat. But what I love more is the victory I feel because I listened to the better voice. It’s the voice that silences fear, laziness, sloppiness, insincerity, and mediocrity. It’s the voice of passion, discipline, and character; of goodness, excellence and commitment.
Do you ever hear that internal conversation between the “Nope!” and the “Just do it?” Why don’t you just do it? Why don’t you just try it? Whether it’s a fairly insignificant thing like turning right to the gym instead of left to go home, or a bigger issue of greater moral consequence, you usually know the right thing to do. So, just do it.
Phil 4:8 says “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.” The battle is always a battle of thoughts in contention with each other. End the battle. Just do it.
