Mind over Matter: Breaking the Barrier By Hanane Zahrouni It is all a game – a game of thoughts, and a game of choices. The way to pass, go and collect $200, is to never give up on your goals and dreams no matter how much you struggle or how deep you may be in that trench you call a “dark place.” Mental strength determines your final performance, and your psychology is just as important as your physical attributes. The rule is to remind yourself that you are stronger than what may be stopping you and provide yourself with the emotional ability to dig your way out of negativity with maximum effort, all while keeping a positive attitude. Simple right? Believe me, I have been there, at times I still am, and work very hard each day in removing those negative thoughts, breaking down that red brick wall, all in order to get one step closer to winning the game. It is also important to surround yourself with those who share the same goals and people who continuously remind you what a strong person you are. CrossFit Games Athlete, Scott Panchick, says the following, which can apply to everyone: “At some point in your (athletic) career, you will run into adversity, you will run into something that doesn’t go your way, (and) how you handle it determines how the rest of your competition’s gonna go. How you handle that adversity and what you do with it kind of shapes you.” You have to highlight your strength through your actions and be self-motivated by following the things that inspire and fulfil you. Before you even step onto the competition floor, you have to visualize yourself as a warrior – as a winner – because when you are placed on unfamiliar grounds and feel, sorry for yourself because of that, you are defeated, finito, sayonara. I may sound like a cliché or a motivational Instagram quote, but the way to move forward is to overcome those fears, those obstacles that serve as roadblocks towards your destination. However, there will be moments, that will set you back – and the key to overcoming them is simply to create new goals. It does not need to divert you from your overall goal, but can become an extension of it. If sports has taught us many lessons, which translate in our everyday lives, it is that just like how we train our bodies, training our minds is just as important. Alongside that, having patience to deal with our “temporary” weaknesses will ultimately lead to turning them into strengths.
Just focus in aiming to remove one red brick at a time all the while enjoying life. Moreover, if the brick is a different colour, then the same rules apply. Remember, as Julie Foucher puts it, it is all about “balancing out the beat-downs!� HZ