Running, Sweating, and Climbing to Success

Picture not mine. All credit goes to Nike Women. Retrieved from: http://nikesportsbra.tumblr.com/

I tend to enjoy beginning my days propped up in my bed, with a decadent bowl of oats in hand, while surfing the good ole’ World Wide Web. It is oddly a relaxation period that I quite thoroughly enjoy; I can catch up on the news of the world, while simultaneously drown in the deliciousness that is my strawberry and banana peanut butter breakfast. Upon indulging in this regular routine today, I came across an article that I found quite intriguing. The first two words of the title were all that it took to essentially hook me: “Athletic Women.” As if that weren’t enough to catch this gym rat’s attention, the title, when read completely as intended, stated: “Athletic Women Are Literally Running to the Top of the Business World.” That confirmed it; this article was a definite must-read.

The article was written by Kayleen Schaefer, and was featured on Yahoo! It covered new reports that revealed a vast number of “high-level executives” that had a past history of participation in athletics. We are talking about major business moguls from Vera Wang, to Tory Burch, to Jenny Carter Fliess, whom at one point in their lives were collegiate athletes.

What intrigued me most about the content of the article was not that I would have never thought to fathom such successful women, especially in the industry of fashion, to have been once athletic. That notion is absurd; of course top tier businesswomen are entitled to have athletic pasts. It was the message that was hidden between the lines: sports, or any other form of athletic pursuit, have benefits that well surpass simply what they do for the physique.

I have always noticed a correlation between my perspective on working out, and my perspective on life. Without fail, it always constitutes a positive one. My outlook on life, my ambitions, and my studies always seem to heighten during the periods of my life when I devote myself to keeping active, and eating healthy. This is no correlation I experience alone; I have heard countless of accounts from others that dedicating focus in the gym and in the kitchen has been huge to supplementing focus in other areas of life as well.

There is something about that “internal drive” in active and athletic lifestyles that Wang alluded to in the article, setting a platform for success on a myriad of levels that extend to many other aspects of life. To me, an athlete is anyone who wakes up everyday with the pursuit for a stronger, fitter, and healthier lifestyle; the definition extends to anyone who challenges their mind, body, and soul to achieve their goals. I consider myself an athlete; perhaps not a competitive one wearing a uniform and seeking a trophy, but I fight and push through physical, mental, and emotional boundaries when it comes to my training. I apply the same mentality to my training now as I did when I played soccer, and that mentality never fails to set me on the right track.

This is not to say that being athletic or participating in sports will guarantee success in all areas of life, and it is also not to say that not being athletic or not participating in sports will not guarantee this same success. It is just fascinating to come to a realization that time and energy put forth in physical activity does so much more than we are conscious of. Think about it, when you are planning your week, fixating meals, and developing workouts, you are creating and practicing organizational, motivational, and dedicational habits that you will use for anything in life. As Tory Burch puts it perfectly in a quote from the article: “Any sport will teach you discipline, perseverance, fairness, and the importance of timing, which is critical in all aspects of life, especially running a company.”

I encourage everyone reading this who put forth time and effort toward lifestyles within the realms of health and fitness, to dedicate that same mentality to every aspiration. I can assure you that working hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle will lend you experiences, lessons, and habits that will only benefit you on your climb to any success.

Keep moving, and keep climbing!

And with that I sign off—XO Adri


Credits:
Kayleen Shaefer. "Athletic Women are Literally Running to the Top of the Business World." Yahoo! October 17 2014.
https://www.yahoo.com/style/athletic-women-are-running-to-the-top-of-the-business-100192628993.html

http://nikesportsbra.tumblr.com/