I look across the gym at sweaty bodies and tenuous muscles.

Sanguine souls pushing against gravity, defying time and age.

A weight of regret can drag us into a hole of apathy unless we take the first step towards something better,

Baby steps of change and transformation.

I find my strength in my body, in movement, in the control of it.

There are two sides to everything: light and dark, hot and cold, effort and apathy.

My weakness lies in the in-between, the gray area of indecision where vulnerability reveals my softer edges.

The truth is our strength is actually found in those softer shades, pinkish hues of grace, kindness, compassion, and courage.

Boulders crash while feathers float.

Rigidity does not bend, it breaks.

The cure for rigidity is curiosity.

If we remain curious, we are open to receive…

What we receive is not defined or pre-determined, but there is always a lesson.

I can spend my life building walls or I can grow feathers to fly.

I can wear armor to keep out pain or I can wear a boa, something to slide on and off at will, moving gently across my skin.

My weakness is my strength, the ability to bend, cry, listen, accept, feel, speak, search, and remain open.

When I drop the bar, stumble along my path, lash out in a moment of panic, or crawl under a blanket in despair, my strength is built in trying, in forgiving myself, and in choosing to smile and laugh again.

The weakness in me is your guide to love me.

The strength in me is my guide to love myself…

And to choose who’s worthy of my love, in patience and protection.

My intense passion for truth and integrity will continue to drive my intended path, staving off any flicker of apathetic avoidance.

My love for life will secure my happiness and block the demons from dragging me down into the darkness.

My weakness and my strength form a complete human, full of mystery and contradiction, making me whole.