Monday 2010 02 01

Skill:

• KB Swing: 5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5

WOD:

• 400 m Run
• 40 KB Swings
   
• 300 m Run
• 30 KB Swings
• 200 m Run
• 20 Swings
• 400 m Run

M:30#/F: 15# – You will carry the Kettle Bell for all runs, except for the last 400 m run.

“THE ONLY ATTITUDE ALLOWED IN THIS BOX, IS THE COACHES’……SO LEAVE YOURS AT HOME.”

We had another very successful On-Ramp. We had lots of new members sign up with us, and they enjoyed the fun WODs. Next On-ramp will be next February 8, 2010. 5:30 am and 8:00 pm. You must attend one only and all sessions for the month. Call or email now to reserve a spot.

by Miguel  

When we talk about a cancer we automatically think of physical death or a physical illness, don’t we?

Yesterday, while I was taking my daughter back to her home, in Brownsville, I helped her with her homework. She always asks me at the last minute to help her, then again this weekend I was so busy that I didn’t get a chance to spend enough time with her. But anyways, she had to read an article and then chose a side whether she agreed or didn’t agreed with the author.

The article was written by Charles W. Colson (click to read the whole article). Charles talked about pride. How pride is a spiritual cancer that takes over all of us or some of us, at one point in life. Some can never get rid of and some of us have to face a dramatic change in life in order to get rid of the vice known as cancer. Why am I writing about this article? Well because as I read, I could not help but relate to Charles Colson and Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Governor of Ill). In a short reading from the article and from a book read to Charles, by a friend of his, this is how they defined Pride.

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free. … The vice I am talking about is Pride or Self-conceit. …. Pride leads to every other vice. … A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. … Pride is a spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”

How do I relate to this? Well many of you know my story and many of you don’t. Since I was a kid I was taught to be strong, tough, and independent. I was taught to chase the American dream. But what is the American dream, anymore? As I grew up I became sick, the vice started to take over me. In the military I became one of the best soldiers, in all of my units. Volunteering for some of the toughest schools, training, and some of the most dangerous assignments. After finishing the toughest military school in the world, U.S. Army Ranger School, there was no stopping me. Was selected to be an instructor at School of the Americas and then on to Special Forces. I was an Army of one. Since my child hood I had been faced with adversities and with the tough training I received and missions I did overseas, my pride grew to immense heights.  

I did look down on people, it was all about me and how high I could get. This vice together with alcohol and high stress, brought me to rock bottom towards the end of my career. I was so blinded by my pride, that I did not love (not even my family), I wasn’t content (unless I cause pain), and I did not have enough common sense to keep my career, my family, and my friends.

In 2001, due to alcohol and the tight vice, I had an incident, whether it was intentionally or not I was full responsible for my actions. This incident that took less than 10 minutes, ended mycareer a year later, sent me to prison for 5 months, and ruin what I had so much worked for the last ten years in the Army. I rose through the ranks at an extreme speed and had some of the best training in the world. I myself was training others with some of the best training tactics in the world. But, PRIDE took over me. The VICE tightens around me, around my eyes, and my stupidity took over. I lost my family, many friends, respect from all those around me, and I became more ill than ever.

Pride is a cancer, that can ruin your life, those around you, and all you built. It has taken me years to come to the realization that I do not need pride to be successful, to love myself, and to be content. Today I feel like I am the richest man in the world, not because of my successes, but because of my failures. While in prison, I did not cry nor did I punish myself, nor others, but embraced those times in my cell and in solitary at times (when I was bad…I was working on it, gimmie a break).  While in prison I came to learn that pride was and illness, not a success, but a vice that will engulf you like the darkness engulfs the night. Today my riches are YOU the athletes, those of you that allow me to be me. Those that believe in me. Those of you that are humble and allow me to be humble. My riches are my beautiful young wife, my two gorgeous daughters, and my handsome son; my friends, my family, and my love for life.

To many I am arrogant and prideful, but to you I am me.

In second, I agree with Charles, that in today’s America, we teach our young to obsess over material things, over themselves, and over power, that we may get from positions, money, or social status. We disregarding what is important in life; courage, honesty, and prudence.

It is good to have pride, to be strong, and to have goals to achieve. But if you let pride take over your soul, then it will become a SPIRITUAL CANCER.

 Miguel A. De La Fuente

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