The end of a physical era

I quit the gym. After 11 years—out of which 5 were years of deep obsession—I am saying goodbye to a life of weightlifting. I guess somewhere down the road the journey became too much about my external physique and less about my internal energy. But most of all, I feel a lack of agility and endurance because of the isolated nature of the workouts. Agility and endurance are traits I truly want to develop, both in physicality and in mindset, especially as an entrepreneur.

So with that, this next phase of life involves running and boxing. Thanks to Zach Pogrob, an activity which I thought I would never ever pursue (running) is now my Sisyphus. As for boxing, I’ve always had a love for martial arts but never pursued it seriously. I love the amount I sweat when I box—the exhilaration I feel from this activity is unmatched.

I’m stoked to develop different forms of agility and endurance. But what I’m most excited about is the fact that I’m able to let go of something that sustained me for over a decade. For the past few years I was holding on to weightlifting even though it didn’t feel alive. I thought I wanted it, so I kept telling myself to stick with it. But the longer I held on, the deeper my angst became. And now that I’ve taken the step to die to my past, I feel more alive than ever.

Every aspect of life can either keep you in a prison of identity, or enable you to move through the cycles of creativity and destruction. I will always choose the latter, no matter how hard it may be. Because as odd as it may sound, psychological death is the path to a vibrant life.