Gather No Moss

I don't know why but second cardio of the week always seems a bit tougher than the first. Today cycling was increased to the 9th intensity which is one more than the last cardio day. Let's say this resistance setting tired out my legs out fast and my thighs were feeling the burn after the third interval.

I'm glad the music was playing, but I couldn't focus on because I wanted to stop or slow my pace down to like "barely peddling" level. But every time I had that thought, I had to tell myself to push through and then suddenly I was reminded of a phrase my mother told me when I was young,

"A rolling stone gathers no moss."

From what I have always understood based on my mother's definition of the phrase is that a rock that constantly moves has no foundation or established roots anywhere and therefore lacks responsibility or cares.

As a kid, I was always somewhat of a smart-ass and had to argue her point. Before I got slapped in the face, I said to my mother:

"The purpose of a rolling stone is to continue to roll. It does have cares because if it stops, it is forced to settle and let other things like "moss" take it over or dirt to sink into its pores, or sit there and be buried under all the other things that may fall on it like that frog on a log." (referencing the children's song "There is a hole in the bottom of the sea.")

As I think back to that moment, the look on my mother's face was as if she had been enlightened by some 12 year old and when I recognized this, I asked her this question, "Do you know what happens to a rolling stone?' she simply answered, "no." So I told her:

"A rolling stone rolls because it's full of life. Each time the stone rolls, it gives a part of itself back to the environment that allows it to continuously roll. Sometimes the roll is good and sometimes the roll is rough. On the rough rolls, the stone may lose a little bit more of itself, but it doesn't allow itself to stay stuck and the stone continues to roll. Each time the stone rolls and gives itself away, eventually over time will begin to smooth out and lose its rough edges. Sure the stone may have started out as a bigger rock, but with all its rolling, it has developed smooth round edges that shape itself to continue to roll, until the one day when it has decided to stop. The journey may be over but now you have a pretty good looking and smooth stone that you can appreciate."

My mom who looks speechless replied, "oh good...THEN WHY DON'T YOU LOSE WEIGHT!"

LOL. That is how she changed the subject and gave me another thing to scold me for. Regardless, in this moment of pushing through while I am cycling, it got my mind right and allowed my body to follow.

I am on a journey to become a better me. I have let myself gather moss for quite some time and now its time to start rolling - at least for the physical part. The best thing I try to keep in mind is that today's struggle is tomorrow's strength.

#FIT #FAT #MOSS #STONE #MOM #QUOTE