Do I get a new couch?
I just watched Mike Birbiglia's one-man comedy show from 2019. It was a tremendous insight into a story about love and its complications.
♪ Hey! I wanna get better ♪ ♪ I didn’t know I was lonely Till I saw your face ♪ ♪ I wanna get better ♪ ♪ Better, better, better I wanna get better ♪ ♪ I didn’t know I was broken Till I wanted to change ♪ ♪ I wanna get better ♪ ♪ Better, better, better I wanna get better ♪ ♪ I didn’t know I was broken Till I wanted to change ♪
That’s an excerpt from his opening. I am reviewing the show in my head. Thinking about how, metaphorically, this matches my me in work/play and life. Mike had this couch that truly grounded him. it was his safe harbor. It was where his girlfriend, and now wife, sat and ate pizza. It was the perfect couch, old and comfortable. The his baby was born and that couch became the babies. In the story, he goes through resentment, anger, and frustration that this (his) newborn has taken HIS couch.
Life, in general, is very much like Mike’s couch. We “wanna” get better at training, parenting, work, and life. However, we never really knew or know that we want/wanted to get better, until we wanted/ needed to change. I’m not trying to minimize the life-changing situations that go with a newborn. I have two children of my own. However, let's break this down to the three things that matter to endurance athletes.
Training: Hey all. It’s ok to change. “You wanna get better”, but most of us are stuck in the rut of continuously doing the same thing over and over. Same route on your ride. Same Zwift hammerfest. Same, same, same ole. Don’t be reluctant to change your training.
Work: This is more complicated. Your job could very well be different every day. If you are an entrepreneur it is a daily change. If you work in a cubicle, there may not be much change. Here’s where the change comes in. Mindset. Set your intentions right. Manifest greatness in your work. Sometimes it may suck, but ♪ ♪ you didn’t know you were broken Till you wanted to change. Change is hard, but if you dig deep, and become friends with yourself, work can become great.
Family: Watch Birbiglias 2019 show. The New One for a good measure of comedy and family dynamics.
What did I get from the show? My life was a comfy couch. It was serviceable, it was soft. It was everything that I thought was good for me. ♪ ♪ I didn’t know I was broken Till I wanted to change. Truth be told, I didn’t have a choice during Covid and after. I had to change. I’m asking you to figure out if you want to change for the better. I'm trying too. I may need a new couch now.
Tailwinds,
Chad