Control in the Chaos by G Diesel

The political climate. The weather. The stock market. Your significant other’s mood. Your kids’ attitudes. COVID. Some things are beyond your control. And though I never downplay the importance of the individual’s contribution to the greater good and the impact each of us can make on the broader universe, it can be frustrating trying to manage the many things outside of your reach.

In many ways, control is one of the factors that first so magnetically drew me to the weights. There were no coaches to please. No politics to play. It was me. Alone in my bedroom. Cement-filled plastic weights. A makeshift bench. Nas in my headphones. Whatever shakes I could create in my blender. Eating all the wholesome meals Ma Dukes made. What I could read, research and learn in the magazines. How consistent I could be. How hard I could push. The effort I alone was willing to make, would determine my progress and ultimately my fate. That control… It was irresistible.

In putting together The Program, beyond the obvious physical strength and regimentation, that same control is the primary gift we offer. You have intent. Now, you have a plan. You have a gym or your basement or your garage, or maybe like I once had, your bedroom. And as they say, where there’s a will, there’s a way. The “will” is entirely your own, and likely formidable if it led you here. The “way” is The Program, and whatever magical mojo we can infuse it with to encourage, guide and inspire.

There is no shortage of challenges that we all face. From existential and global to trivial and local and everything in between. Day in and day out, there is much to overcome. Be selective about what you ingest, stay aware and well-informed without chewing and swallowing it all. As you are what you eat. Don’t shrug it all off but do more shrugs instead. Don’t merely train, but train yourself to control what you can.

For a brief period each day, we are able to act in harmony, our internal and external worlds moving in unison with a singular purpose. In our training, is an opportunity to immerse ourselves in a goal… To lose ourselves in the process. One that is at the same time intimately personal yet bigger than us. Words like quarantine and bubble and lockdown are often disconcerting and can be stressful and disheartening. But within them I have found opportunities for self-discovery, self-improvement and the self-actualization I have chased my whole life. Chances to double down on personal investment. They are rare and priceless.

In the chaos of modern existence, there are some factors beyond our own influence. But how hard you train… How consistently and purposeful… How well-thought-out your approach. Your focus and intensity… The food and supps you put in your mouth. Your attitude. Your outlook. What you create. In the rubble and destruction and mayhem, what you build. You can’t control everything, so you must control what you can.