Forty and Strong: Zia Strength Systems

September 2011

On an earlier post on Forty and Strong, I wrote about "The Competitive Mind." I spoke about Zia Strength Systems, a gym that was originally designed for Powerlifters. I began training at this gym in 2011 and I talk about the barriers I was able to break, records I was able to break and doing it as I began the sport at age 42. What I didn't talk about was the transformation that has taken place during these years. However, the ups and downs, the injuries, and personal distractions that have kept me unfocused this past year is disappointing. The transformation I have made since 2011 has been in all aspects of my life and as I blog about it in the months to come, I hope I am able to get back where I was in the process.

It has been difficult to begin new chapters because the conflicts in what I want to happen and the other belief inside me asking how I will get there. Many times people do not begin new journeys because they don't know how to start, what to do and how to make it happen.

January 2016

Because I did not have a true appreciation for who I was and what I was I began to sabotage my life and my dreams and began to work unconsciously against myself. I left what I had worked so hard for and what I loved... The gym. I didn't have talent when I began. I just had the desire. The likely outcome is going to be failure, but allowing failure to keep you back is worse than failure itself. It takes time to learn that until you take a step back. I was scared, that's all there is to say and I began to push it deep inside me and I stopped my routine. This took my identity that I worked for. When you begin to see success sometimes, it is scares you. It's hard to explain.

So, I could stay and get the shit kicked out of me or I could be brave once again and find my way
back to the positive life I am building. I don't want to die and regret the things I didn't do and I know this. So... after spending some much needed alone time with my parents this week, I came back home today and reluctantly went back to the gym. As I enter Zia, Jordan is still Jordan and the comeback will be as grueling as it was to start. Because of the atmosphere I work in, the gym is necessary for my mental strength and I am determined to persevere. Although, I am reluctant to show my transformation, I hope many are inspired by the journey.