As you probably know, Philadelphia is home to the “Rocky Steps”. The beautiful set of stairs leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art made famous in the iconic scene from the 1976 Rocky movie. A few summers ago on a hot summer day, I visited those famed steps and the Rocky tribute statue for the first time with my niece. Back then- in that moment- I believed the magical feeling of those steps was going to inspire me to get in shape. Lose those extra pounds. Make different choices.
Guess what! It didn’t happen. I didn’t lose the extra pounds. I didn’t get in shape.
In fact, last month I was standing on those same steps feeling awful.
- Emotional.
- Winded.
- Overweight.
- Hot.
Acutely aware that the promise I made to myself several years ago in that same spot had been broken.
Broken by ME!
But there I was in the blazing sun with a pasted smile on my face and a lump in my throat trying to ignore the overwhelming rush of defeat. My boyfriend wanted to take photos of us with the Philadelphia skyline backdrop. Take videos running up the steps. Just as I remembered Sylvester Stallone doing so many times in my mind over the past 4 decades. It could have been so fun and silly!
And all I wanted to do was sob!
The broken promise to myself weighing on me like an anchor around my neck. Ruining our sightseeing. Feeling bigger than life.
And then a little voice in my head said:
“What if you really did it this time? What if you didn’t break the promise? What if you followed through? What if you didn’t quit? What if you believed in yourself?”
As I stood in the footprints of Rocky looking out over the city, that little voice turned into a commitment (how does that HAPPEN!?)
Next Spring, I will return to Philadelphia and bound up the stairs in Rocky-style fashion, loudly singing the movie theme song, in amazing shape. Strong. Active. Happy. Inspired. Confident. Accomplished. As my “best self” at 55.
I KNEW this was real and that this time it was going to happen because I was crying beneath my sunglasses. My personal litmus test: When I cry, I know it is real.
Clearly it is time for a change. Time for a challenge. Time to kick it up a few notches. Time to stop breaking promises to myself in many areas of my life, beginning with my health!
Damn, that little voice in my head is so powerful. Replacing the negative self-talk, throughout the years that little voice has challenged me at some of the most pivotal times of my life (oh, there are stories to tell). It has created milestones for me to achieve. And once I hear it, I can’t “un-hear” it.
My best guess is that while I was standing there fighting back my tears as my boyfriend snapped selfies, I was actually at another one of the pivotal points in my life and did not even know it. All I knew was that the “little voice” wouldn’t stop talking.
Where have you received unexpected inspiration?
What were you doing when you heard the message you needed to hear seemingly out of nowhere?
For me, it always happens when I am simply living in the moment. And I certainly never would have guessed that Sylvester Stallone would be involved. Apparently, Sylvester and I have a date in Spring 2022.
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