My Defining Moment

• By vishwa on Health, Inspiration, Training

• May 31, 2017

My memory is relatively weak.   I have a feeling   that I am inflicted with some kind of amnesia.  In fact, I don’t remember dates, whatsoever.  Last year I had forgot my birthday.  My family members wanted to surprise me, so none of them spoke about it.  A gym client reminded me about the birthday and broke the curiosity.   However, I remember 1998 May 21^st, as I cannot forget the significance it brought in my life.  That was the day, which defined my life.  Yes, after all these years, when I look back I can clearly state that.

It was the last day of my 3^{rd and} final year arts graduation examination.  I vividly and precisely remember the day, for I said to myself that I will start performing physical exercise by lifting weights.  I also said to myself that I wouldn’t stop exercising till the day I cannot lift weights.  Well, here I am, I haven’t stopped training till date.   I have taken intermittent breaks because of obvious reasons.  Nonetheless, all these years I haven’t stopped training.  I don’t see a reason to break my training.  Perhaps, I have been injured several times, but that hasn’t deterred me.

Physicality the way out

I knew that physicality is something which isn’t foreign to me from an early age.  I could sense that physical exertion is an opium to me.  I knew it to be my solace.  The physical pain we encounter while lifting weights gives me peace.  I thrive on that physical exertion.    Click here to read more 

 

Although I enjoyed lifting weights since childhood and knew the benefits, I realized the importance during the 3 years of my graduation, as I suffered from the throngs of depression.  Two consecutive food poisoning incidents had infected my gut, which lead to diarrhea.  In turn that caused irritable bowel syndrome–IBS.  Although IBS is not a disease, it can sap your health and wellbeing.  It can also cause severe depression.  Respectively, I stopped socializing with my friends for three years.  I would neither go to movies nor visit places.  I wanted to be left alone.  I didn’t want to go anywhere.  In fact, in the 1st and 2^nd year of my graduation I failed in most of the papers, for nothing excited me. However, in the final year I, somehow, mustered the courage, and passed the examination with descent grading.

More importantly, right after the final examination on May 21^st, I decided enough is enough, and that I will take control of my life.  The inherent feeling that strength training would assist me to get back my life was imminent.  Well, after 19 years of strength training I can certainly say that physicality hasn’t disappointed me.  It continues to give me comfort whenever I am in trouble.

The above picture was photographed when I suffered from the depression.  The weight loss is evident.  However, posing, though I didn’t possess much muscle, provided me immense pleasure.

 

The above picture was clicked after few years of I embraced strength training.

This is how I am at 40 years.