I took this to heart today and had an awesome lifting session.  I simply love how pumped I get from a great workout like today's workout.

At the same time, it is important to start your week right in other ways as well.  I strongly believe that Monday just plain sets the tone for the coming week.  You can run into problems, but the way you handle them will determine how well your week goes.  Get stressed by every little thing and you are sure to have a very stressful week.  Take things in stride and nothing can upset your week.

Here are these young people who have dedicated their entire lives to the pursuit of a dream.  They put everything else on hold in their life to reach the goal they have.  Even those who have spouses/girlfriends/boyfriends tend to be with other Olympic-type athletes.  I believe the reason for that is obvious.  Who else would be able to put up with the extreme amount of time and dedication that is required to reach the level they are all at?  They say that is why alot of Hollywood actors and actresses end up together–they understand “the lifestyle” better than anyone else.

This got me to thinking about the passionate pursuit of anything in life.  It reminds me of when you see something that you want and you just get these intense unadulterated feelings about going for it.  You are willing to climb over the highest walls to get to where you want to go because you have intense unadulterated feelings about your destination. 

I was watching an episode of Monk yesterday that represents just this very thing.  Monk is a detective from San Francisco who lost his wife to a murder.  He was so deeply in love with his wife that he just can't move on so he keeps her stuff intact.  He also has an issue with germs.  He cannot touch anything unless it is wiped off or he uses tissue to touch it.  In this particular episode, Monk is friends with a heavyweight boxer.  The boxer is in trouble and being threatened because 5 years earlier, at a time when he was at the top of his game, he threw a title fight so that his manager's child could get a life saving operation.  They bet against him and he threw the fight.  Now someone wants him dead as a result.  Monk and the boxer have a tight relationship.  Monk has to pass a physical fitness test (something that is impossible for him) and so the boxer trains him.  You see Monk trying to do pull ups.  You see him running stairs.  You see him jumping over the lower pillars of the bleachers.

Happiness can involve finding that right person to have as part of your life.  The person you want to share everything with.  She's that person who you can talk with until the wee hours of the morning even when you have to get up for work in the morning.  She's the person you can share all your secrets with.  She's your partner for life.  Having this person in your life is happiness.

Happiness can involve children.  Children tend to bring joy to everyone in a family.  Children are something to be cherished and protected.  Having children in your life is happiness.

Happiness can involve choosing the right career path for yourself.  A career can be very rewarding.  The daily challenge of one's career and the personal growth one obtains from the career are forms of happiness in themselves. 

Happiness can involve friends.  Having a friend that you can talk to about anything is amazing.  Having that friend who never judges you, but will set you straight is invaluable.    Having a good friend in your life is happiness.

I could go on and on about what happiness can be, but the point is really not that hard to grasp.  You can have a happy life without everything being perfect.  If you focus on those things that make you happy and attempt to improve those things that don't, you will soon realize just how much happiness you have in your life.  We all tend to dwell too much on the negative aspects of our life and not enough on the smaller pieces of happiness we have.

I realized as I was listening that he lacked the determination to get the job done.  Things are not easy, but you tell yourself you can get the job done and you will. That's what determination is all about.  You refusing to give up.  Taking on the challenge that is presented to you each time you enter the gym.  Being consistent with your planned workouts. 

Adding weight is never something easy, but when done correctly it stretches you.  You move to a different level each time you add weight.  If you have determination you will tell yourself that you are going to get the weight up and get the set done.  If you lack that determination you might not even try to add weight in the first place.  This will lead to stagnation as you make no progress in your lifting program.