Find Your Delight

delight: n. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture

I'm a perfectionist. Type A. Highly critical, especially of myself. I'm also a pessimist. And I realize that I have this bad habit-- nothing is ever good enough. There is always a "Yeah, but..." attached to my achievements. This is NOT a healthy perspective; I know this. I am working on it...

This week, I was confronted by this unhealthy habit in a big way. In the weight room, this was my heavy week-- workouts included lifts of 95% of my max training weight, with the opportunity to work past that max to find a new 1 rep max. Monday was squat day; Tuesday-- Cleans and Bench; Thursday-- dead lift; Saturday-- overhead (clean and jerk). It was hard work. Exhausting. I reached new maxes in the 3 major lifts. 

But what stands out to me the most? The missed lifts. Those cleans. Never mind that I equaled my previous max for multiple reps-- not just one. Never mind that I defeated my previous maxes in the other lifts. Never mind that I worked hard, did my best. 

So, if you are a bit like me, here is what we need to do: purpose (v. to resolve) to delight in our accomplishments. Instead of rushing onto the next thing, delight in the completed work. Instead of replaying the misses, glory in the moments we overcome. Center our thoughts on the positives. Meditate on the progress, not the setbacks. Be thankful for the strong body that works hard. Delight in the good. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4