channeling hope
Today I joined the throngs of people flocking to health clubs to get back in shape this week. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the suddenly packed parking lot and the crowded fitness center at my YMCA: in January alone, over one million Americans join health clubs each year. And sadly, up to 75% of those quit their goals within the first three months.
But today, the place was teeming with people prepared to sweat off their holiday indulgences (cookies, anyone?). I found an empty bike, adjusted my settings and hopped on, ready to tackle the imaginary trail ahead. Twenty-plus wheels cranked, spinned, climbed and coasted up and down the virtual hills and valleys. Twenty-plus bodies synchronized with the pounding music and our instructor’s commands. Twenty-plus souls pushed, pulled, cycled and sweated to gain some strength and burn a boatload of calories in our quest for fitness. We felt proud. We felt strong. We felt high on the endorphins. Okay, we were gasping for air, trying not to throw up and about to feel exhausted, but not just yet.
At that moment, we were full of hope. Full of optimism. Full of energy.
Can you imagine how much hope, optimism and energy fills America’s health clubs in the month of January every year? One million new souls, believing that this year we will really get back in shape, conquer those demons, and get on with a healthier lifestyle. It’s a valliant effort, even it costs us over $18 billion per year, and it might be short lived. I’m part of it, in my own sporadic way.
But I can’t help thinking about all of these people who come out of hiding this week. What if we could capture all that new energy? What if we could harness it and channel it to last the whole year through? What if one million people used all of that energy and optimism to promote a different kind of health–not just body-sculpting–but a community-building kind of health?
What if, instead of just working out, a million newly energized, motivated people could instead work together to:
- feed someone. . . toward stamping out hunger
- tutor a child. . . toward improved literacy
- give to a charity. . . toward ending poverty
- visit a church (or temple, or mosque, or someone who needs a friend) . . . toward a better community
What if. . . ?
Imagine the possibilities.
Where would you channel these one million energetic, hopeful people?
What a great take on the new year! I like imagining the possibilities. Where would I channel one million energetic, hopeful people? Hmmmm … I think I would take them to a place in need of clean water, to help build wells and provide safe drinking water. …
Pam, I like the way you think, the way you challenge us to think when we stop by! God’s blessings to you!
Jennifer’s last blog post..Resolve
Ah, clean water is a good one, a la the Advent Conspiracy. Great idea, and thanks for the kind words.
Your post reminds me of those distant hopes that all the energy created by spinning the wheels of stationary bikes would actually keep the lights on and the heat running at a January health club. It would cost a bit in infrastructure and take some creativity, but wouldn’t it inspire the people on those machines that they were not just working out for their own hearts but for the good of the planet? This sort of thinking seems to fall right in tune with what you are talking about. A little creativity, a little risk, a whole lot of refusal to accept the less than satisfactory status quo.
Happy pedaling and blessings in the new year!
Marisa
Epiphany Girl’s last blog post..New Projects: Energy and Inertia and Seeking Balance Once Again
Beautifully put!
Kimberly’s last blog post..Greetings from the “Real” World
You rock.
I think I’d channel that energy to quite a few different injustices. I can’t pick! Great post, lady!
Heather of the EO’s last blog post..Decisionally Challenged
@Epiphany Girl: I like the image of the spinning wheels keeping the lights on. Sometimes a concrete purpose can help us maintain energy and commitment.
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