Who’s Got Your Six?
Who’s got your six?
That question could pertain to a lot of different topics, but keeping it relative to health and fitness, who really has your six?
I got to thinking about this the other day when I was reflecting on something that I always say to my son; “we’re always going to have your back whether you like what we have to say or not.” Those of you with teenagers know this statement well, along with some of the pushback we can get from the kids who think they know it all. But that’s not the point in all of this.
Back to the topic of health and fitness, who is that person for you that helps keep things real? Who pushes you when you need that extra push to achieve that next level goal? Who tells you when you are slacking and helps you get back on track? Who is brutally honest with you when you have let your own health and wellness completely go to shit and come to you out of concern when nobody else will?
For me that person is Mr. AIP. In fact, very early on in our relationship we made a pact that we would always be brutally honest with one another about everything. Health and fitness related topics were no exception to the rule. In fact, one of our agreements was that ‘allowing ourselves to go’ was not an option in our relationship. We came into the relationship both extremely fit and expected it would stay that way, as that was part of the attraction to one another. We also agreed that if the other was letting themselves ‘go’, even just a little, that it would be brought to their attention immediately. Now, I’m not going to sit here and throw anyone under the bus about whom had to bring up what to whom first, but I will say that we have both upheld our end of the agreement by having to have a conversation or two throughout the years about both health and wellness related subjects.
Someone having your six like that, to point out that you’re sliding backwards either physically and/or mentally is the kind of asset we all need in our lives; somebody to keep it real when nobody else will. There have been times where that brutal honesty has made me angry, but anger is something that also helped fuel the fire to push me through to the other side.
We all fall into a slump on occasion, but the point is to not stay there. Many times, it’s hard to either identify you’ve flatlined or are sliding backwards and other times just remaining that way becomes habitual. This is where having an accountability partner comes in. Who is that person for you? Do you have someone like that in your life? Many will answer, “oh that’s easy, it’s my wife,” or “it’s my husband,” or even “it’s my buddy Joe.” But will this person really be brutally honest with you when your off track and letting yourself go physically or mentally? Or are these specific topics something they would just avoid so not to hurt your feelings/ego or visa-versa?
These are all great questions for you that I don’t have the answer to, but a question worth reflecting upon going forward. We don’t always want to hear these things, but having an agreement with someone to have your back will always keep things real for you and keep you on track if you ever fall off.
Mike and I joke around about when people ask us “hey, can I ask you an honest question?” If you know either of us, we’ll always give the brutally honest answer, like it or not. So, if you are unable to identify that special person in your life, reach out to us anytime. We’ve got your six!
~Sarah
