my tribe

tribeinformal a ​large ​family or other ​group that someone ​belongs to:


"Finding your tribe can have transformative effects on your sense of identity and purpose.  This is because of three powerful tribal dynamics: validation, inspiration, and what we'll call here the "alchemy of synergy." Ken Robinson

this picture is only a small representation of what i consider my SiB family.  we are, without any official declaration, a tribe. what makes this so special is that we are united for a common purpose.  we help each other.  and we have a lot of fun doing it.  being fit is hard.  and its even harder if you are going at it alone.  the thing that i love the most about SiB is the feeling that i have created a place where my people can come to get what they need.  sometimes that's a hard workout.  sometimes its not so hard (right??).  and sometimes its just encouragement or stress relief. we TOGETHER have created this environment where we bond over accomplishing things, individually and as a unit.  

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” - jane howard

the most interesting thing about my tribe is that it constantly evolves.  and while i would consider ALL of these people my friends, we dont really socialize outside of the studio (except you know, my sister). this is a community of people who have bonded over our love of, or need for, fitness.  we share challenges, we joke around, we celebrate birthdays, but we do it all within the walls of SiB. and i totally appreciate knowing i have this community of people who will be there to support me everyday - at roughly 4:30 (or you know, 7:30am if i have a gun to my head).

interestingly, our tribe is very diverse.  many of us have NOTHING in common except the desire to challenge ourselves. to get better.  but what links us, even more than that, is the inner fire to not settle for the status quo.  it is so easy to make excuses.  we all hear them every day.  i laughingly tell my friends that i'm like a fitness priest - people cant help but to come up and tell me WHY they aren't working out, or what their plans are.  like i can ABSOLVE them.  i find it interesting.  and super amusing.  i have heard just about every excuse out there.  my favorites include, but are not limited to: bad knees (seriously??), no time (you and every other person on earth), and its too hard there (i have no response to this one).  

If you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.

 ~Yiddish Proverb

i think what those "other" people think is that we, my tribe, don't suffer from all of those same woes. which is just ridiculous.  that's why you NEED a tribe!  so when you are feeling your laziest and most unmotivated, you remember that someone else is COUNTING ON YOU to be there for them.  even if it is just to commiserate with.  let me say this - i am no spring chicken.  i have had both of my knees reconstructed.  i eat like a teenage boy & drink my fair share.  and at heart, i am lazy.  nothing makes me happier than a west wing marathon laying on my couch.  i have a busy life.  i work full-time.  i volunteer.  you know, i do all the things that everyone else does. AND i workout.  pretty much everyday.  because i NEED to.  because i dont want to turn into jabba the hut.  because its good for my mental well-being, not to mention the physical.  and because my tribe counts on me to be there. without them, i just dont know that i would do it everyday.  or even most of the time.  i need to be accountable to someone other than me.  because its way to easy for me to let myself off the hook.

we are going thru this journey together.  all of you out there with a tribe of your own know exactly what i mean.  its super easy to quit doing something when you are doing it alone.  but when you have other people counting on you, its a lot harder to just give up.  you still can.  we have certainly had people leave and never come back.  that happens too.  and its all okay.  one of my favorite sincere beliefs is that people come into your life when you need them.  not all of them are meant to stay forever. but while we are travelling together, we get to help each other.  pretty cool stuff.

Help one another; there's no time like the present and no present like the time. ~James Durst

as summer approaches, we are starting to see the callenges in sticking with that workout program. spring sports are always tough.  kids schedules get trickier. end of the school year has way more demands.  and its a whole lot easier to just STOP. please don't.  reach out to a buddy.  find a tribe of your own.  join ours.  just dont quit.  there will absolutely always be reasons for you to not make time for yourself. ALWAYS.  but YOU are important.  your mental and physical health is a GIFT - to you and from you to those you love.  neglecting yourself is never the right answer.  and if working out it not your thing - that's okay too.  there are all kinds of other tribes out there that will support you doing your thing.

In union there is strength. ~Aesop

if you haven't started yet, doing whatever it is that you love, i hope you do.  start now.  once you are doing something FOR YOU, you will be amazed at how much better you feel.  and you will wake up one morning and realize that you have a tribe of your own.  believe me, its one of the coolest things out there.

thank you to all of my SiB peeps.  i love you all.  i love our competition. and our camaraderie.  i love your crazy work stories and commiserating over kid drama.  i truly enjoy watching you all get better and stronger every day.  i love your quirky sayings and the way you motivate each other and me!  and i totally love working out with you.  even when i dont want to.  you guys rock.

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. ~Kenyan Proverb