Is there a ghost in your closet?

About a year ago I read an article put out in Spinning's instructor magazine.  It was about a Spinning instructor that had created a ride he called the "Ghost Ride".  I loved the article so much I have taught my own Ghost Ride several times now.  What is a Ghost Ride?  A Ghost Ride is when you ride hard.  You push yourself right to your limit.  There is a good reason to riding to your limit.  It is to find your Ghost.  We all have them. It's the "thing" that holds you back.  It's different for everyone but it takes pushing yourself right to the edge to find it.  It's that thing that makes you stop, that holds you back from creating a new limit, a new boundary. Why would you want to do this? Great question.  I believe knowledge is power.  If you know what your Ghost is, you can overcome it.  You may not be able to overcome it right away.  It may take time, but it is possible.  Don't worry.  When you overcome that Ghost, another usually takes its place.

The beautiful thing about overcoming a Ghost is that you create a new limit.  You become stronger.  We never get stronger when we're comfortable.  Strength happens when we are uncomfortable.  When we feel like we cannot go any further and yet we go just a little more.  It might break us just a bit, but when we re-build, we are stronger.

Now, this is great for Spinning, right? But what if you don't like Spinning?  Here is where it gets great, this Ghost Ride idea has application to EVERYTHING!!  It works in Spinning.  I've had plenty of people tell me they've found their Ghosts and stared them down.  A Ghost "Ride" also works on a run.  Push yourself hard. Run a little faster.  Run a little farther.  Run a stronger hill.  Find your Ghost.  Know what it is that holds you back. If you can't overcome it on that run, think about it afterwards.  Make a plan and attack the next time you're out.  A Ghost "Ride" works on strength training.  You've hit a plateau.  You haven't been able to overcome a certain weight.  Next time, go just one more rep.  Or maybe two.  Or maybe just hold it a second or two longer. You'll overcome and become stronger.

Here's an unintentional consequence: you get to know you better.  Here again, knowledge is power. Knowing yourself better means you can become stronger.  It means you can change.  It means you can become the person you want to be.  You no longer have to be someone you don't want to be.  This Ghost Ride concept has application to most things in your life.  If you're scared of doing something but you've always wanted to do it, try.  Trying is the first step to doing.  Doing is on the road to becoming.

Okay you guys, thanks for checking back with me.  Fill me in on what's going on in your lives, your goals, your dreams, and your near misses.  Let me know if you have questions or comments.  Good luck in whatever you are working on right now.  Check back with me again soon.  Thanks again!