precaution and awareness

aware. it's something i've become more of these past two weeks. as i've started work at the gym i get to see lots of people from many walks of life. most of those i see are so wrapped up in their appearance it almost leaves a bad taste in my mouth. some people seem to live at that place, coming every day for hours on end; lifting, straining, puffing, and grunting as they make their bodies into the shapes they want. alot of them seem consumed by having the best look they can, or by having the most strength they can. from trainers to trainees, it seems to be a mindset caught like a disease might be.

in working around all of this, the disease seems to be creeping into me too. i see all of these guys that are so big and look to how i can be a little more like them. i see people who have perfect form and realize that with a little work, i can have it too.

but in taking a step back and giving this a hard look i see that life's not ruled by how you look. devoting so much time in how one appears on the outside is meaningless, whether i believe it or not. a person can look amazing, be perfectly toned or cut, have the strength of ten men, or be able to lift anything in sight but that's only surface deep. inside is a completely different story; the one that really matters.

the same goes with materialism. posessions mostly. i have a desire in me to have nice things; clothes, music, cars, whatever it might be. being around people who have these things makes it that much worse. i appreciate these things and want to have my own. but again, this is meaningless, whether i believe it right now or not. there is always going to be nice things out there that will be enticing but the real matter is what's underneath; inside the person.

you can have all the strength, looks, or possessions in the world and be empty inside. we all look for meaning in life, and depending on where you find it, you will either be satisfied or still searching to be so. i see it in the people around me; those people at the gym who are the fittest seem to be the most lost. the ones who have the nicest things seem to be so wrapped up in them that they cannot think/live beyond them. i hope that my attitude, rather than assimilating with what i'm around, changes to see the truth through all this.