Yesterday, I went to a two-year anniversary party of the gym that I go to. There were about 20 people there, and I know most of them, at least casually. I know their names, where they work and a bit of their personalities, but I didn’t really know what any of them looked like outside of gym clothes. Everyone cleans up pretty well.
I typically go to the gym at 5a. I’m a morning person, and I would assume most of the other people there are morning people, too; however, even if you’re a morning person, you’re not necessarily a social morning person. Or i’m certainly not.
It’s hard to go out of one’s way at 5a to ask how they are, who they are and what they’re up to. It’s much easier to nod a hello in silence and move on with the workout.
But it’s also just hard to go out of one’s way at any time of the day to ask someone how they are, who they are and what they’re up to. And then to actually listen to them, hear them and learn about them.
We leave in a world that wears headphones and stares at screens instead of listening and looking into each others eyes. And if i’m fair, we’re still usually connecting through headphones and screens on socially media platforms, but we’re still missing something. We’re still missing the human element.
The gym I go to is Intentional Fitness. The entire concept is built on intentionality, with each rep, each breath, each workout, and I would expect, each hello. I need to be better at that, and I need to be better at actually knowing my 5a family and letting them know me.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: It’s never too early to say hello.