Joy Requires Work

Living in a positive state of mind is not always easy. It takes work to stay here. It is however very worth the work. The joy of working to stay here is immense. It is rewardingly exhausting.

Joy for me is a state of being free. Free to feel life, embrace life, and express what I feel in a moment. Knowing my feelings are coming from a place of hard work, self acceptance and authenticity.

Way before I’m comfortable sharing my feelings, I have put them through a series of filters. Questioning, exploring, analyzing, and reviewing. Where are these feelings coming from? Are these for me to keep to myself or do I need to share them with everyone or someone?

This process is very similar to the sensation of holding a piece of white bread in your mouth. Experiencing the change in taste as the enzymes in your mouth begin to digest the bread which changes the taste and texture of it. This experience takes patience and trust that the transformation will occur.

Here is an invitation to take action with owning your joy through exploring a few questions.

How do you find joy?

Where do you find joy?

What does joy feel like for you?

How do you share your joy?

I strongly believe that joy can be contagious. Joy is a vibrant sign that we’re heading in the right direction.

On a serious note that if you’re struggling to find joy and peace in this life, I implore you to seek those who you see that exude the joy that you want to experience. These people will shamelessly share what they have with you and how they achieve it. They’ll support you in finding your joy. The beautiful thing about those who experience joy is that they want everyone to experience it.

Dig deep to draw out that Primitive Optimism that you have within you.

Published by: Coach DanielH

Daniel Heller is a strength and conditioning coach, working in the field since 2007 where he began as an intern at Hope’s Gym in Monroe, Washington. In 2009, a month after graduating from Bastyr University, Daniel became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Since then, he has served as a strength and conditioning coach in the private sector, helping athletes from youth through college level in ice hockey, figure skating, mountain biking, football, and motocross. He works closely with each athlete’s physical therapists and doctors to ensure safety and performance improvement. In 2013, Daniel received the designation of Registered Strength & Conditioning Coach (RSCC) through the NSCA. On the side Daniel was the exercise physiology, biomechanics, and kinesiology consultant for the Advanced Products Development Team at Oakley Inc. He is the Cofounder and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach at Seattle Institute of Athletic Performance providing Functional Movement Screens, corrective exercises, athletic performance programs, as well as educating athletes and parents on the importance of Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) and practice of heads up sports. Daniel’s passion for strength and conditioning stems from his days as a competitive ice hockey player and mountain biker, aside from the many recreational sports he participates in. He is the true strength & conditioning coach for competitive youths aiming for long careers as athletes but also the weekend warriors that train during the week to stay safe on the weekends. In 2015, Daniel took a year break from coaching in Seattle, Washington to pursue his dream of acquiring a masters degree. He returned to Seattle in September 2016 with a Masters of Science in Strength & Conditioning from the University of Edinburgh after living in Edinburgh, Scotland for a year. By immersing himself in the cycling community of Scotland, he was inspired to focus his dissertation on competitive cyclists from varying disciplines where he researched a potential method of improving stationary sprint start performance. He is excited to return to coaching mountain biking combining his childhood passion with his academic and applied expertise.

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