7 Quotes From Peloton Instructors That Helped Me Live a Happier Life
“You didn’t just get a bike, you get the whole community”
This was one of the things that Robin Arzon said in one of her rides. As I try to stand up on two pedals with tight quads, balancing my posture with my core and holding on to the handles, I hear Robin talk about how I can protect my peace and be the CEO of my life. Oh, she is also pregnant. Her bump is showing, her skin is glowing and she is still pedaling harder than me. She continues to encourage me to push, as she climbs on her bike ride further, and she keeps on sharing words of encouragement, while she is probably in a much more uncomfortable place.
I bought my Peloton bike as part of Black Friday promotion in 2018. It was probably one of the largest purchase I have ever made after my used car. A $2000 bike is no joke. I have bought a mid $200 something barbell and plates and some exercise accessories here and there but 10x of that to be put in my basement was definitely something that put me out of my comfort zone. But the possibility to pay in installment and the opportunity to be able to exercise in the wee morning before the kids wake up and not having to drive and walk in icy snow in the winter is a big plus.
On 2020, during the lockdown, it was a plus plus. Not only was I able to exercise in the comfort of my own home to burn all that occasional take out but I was also able to use all of their other stress relieving courses like meditation, yoga or plain ol’ stretching. I am happy to report that as of today, I have no worries of wanting to exercise more for the new year of 2021 because all I have to do is get on the bike right before I start work. Literally, all I have to do is clip off my bike, and walk 3 steps to get to my office desk.
Golden. Money worth spent.
But that is NOT the main reason why $109 / month was money worth spent for a stationary bike with an oversized iPad. It was worth spent because “The Ride” always makes me feel better than before I got on. The ride is not actually just a ride, it’s a motivational ride. Peloton Instructors are on there because they want to motivate you to not only ride, but also to feel better about yourself, to protect your own boundaries, to say YES to the things that are important to you, and to make you realize that you are better than you think.
Words and Action, that is what the ride gives us.
Having said that, I want to share with you a few words that have resonated with me. The quotes shared by my favorite Peloton instructors and how it has affected me, my ride and my day.
1. “Remind yourself that you can do difficult things”
More often than not, especially during this pandemic, we are all faced with doing something that we would rather not. I would rather not stay at home all day or wear a mask while shopping at Target. But this is how we stay safe during the pandemic. I am also reminded that I was able to survive a career change, raise two kids and get on this bike at least 2–3 times this week. Be reminded of the things that you are capable of doing, the things that you have overcome because you are resourceful and you will get through this.
2. “You’ve made through 100% of your bad days”
Has there been a time when you had a bad day that you didn’t survive it? Almost always, whenever you have a bad day, the next day, you change your mind. Sometimes they’re not even bad days, but simply bad moments or bad morning / mid afternoon / evening. They simply are times when things didn’t go the way we want or expected. But you get through it, every single time. Our brain tells us that when we have a bad moment, to prepare for the worst and often times that meant that we will not get through it. But what our brain doesn’t know is that we have gone through it, many times over. So remind yourself the next time you think you won’t get through this awful horrible day. Remind yourself that you will. Or better yet, change your mind.
3. “I change my thoughts, I change my world”
This was one of the mantras that was inserted into one of Kristin McGee’s meditation. One of the things that I like about her meditation or any of the meditation session is that they infused their practice with music. Even though the music may be the same for different sessions, the way they incorporate their guidance, and the positive affirmation with parts of the music, creates an atmosphere around you that allows you to experience more of the intention. Happiness, Acceptance, Kindness, Empathy or Relaxation. These are the type of Meditation that is offered and if you take just one of these every morning or every evening, you will be happier, more accepting, kind-er and relaxed one day at a time.
4. “Resilience is doing it anyways even though every inch of your body says no”
This hits home to me as Tunde talks about this throughout her Year of Yes ride one morning. You see, I have a side project, or a “hustle” what people like to call it. And it has gone to a stall. I feel stuck and when I am stuck, all I want to do is anything but move forward. This quote from Tunde challenges me to do otherwise. It challenges me to think (and feel) what is stopping me from moving forward. It gives me the opportunity to think about what is it that my body that is resisting and to evaluate if I can continue to do it even if my body says no. All of this was said and done while we were doing a climb on the bike. So ultimately, it is not only a state of mind, but also a state of action. It made me think of resilience while being resilient in action on the bike session. Brilliant.
5. “You are the gatekeeper to your own success”
You get to decide. If you are stuck in your business, career, relationship or in your own life and future, you can change it. You can open the gate to a stream of opportunities, new connections and new outlook in your own life. It is all up to you. Success has many faces. I used to think success is owning my own business and being the boss. I also used to think that success is doing what I love every day of the week. But I also realized that being the boss of my own passion business may not mean that I am successful as a whole. Success in my career does not mean success in my relationship or in my own happiness.
Success happens when I am able to merge and align everything that is important to me into one single effort.
To be happy and to embrace imperfection. I am the gatekeeper to that place and to that space. I make the decision for what comes in and what stays out. You can also make that decision.
6. “Don’t let ambition rob you from your own joy”
Ambition is easy. Believe it or not, when you get into the flow of being ambitious, it is the easiest stream to get carried into. It is easy for you to tell yourself you need to work more, achieve more, ask for more, demand more and get more. Humans are wired to want more out of their lives. I once heard a saying from Sadghuru that said, “Animals start their day when they are hungry, Humans start their day when they are full.” Simply, animals strive to find food but we strive to find happiness. In a lot of ways, our happiness is already here. Our own joy lives inside of us if we could only open our eyes. Even though ambition and motivation is good to move us towards what we want, we need to hold on to our own happiness. We need to protect our joy. Authentic ambitions are the ones that are aligned with our own happiness and will feel good when we receive it.
7. “It’s not working … yet”
Patience is a virtue. I can learn a lot from this. In fact, I am struggling with it now. I want my business to make money now, so I can repair my car, make upgrades and take it out in the summer (it’s 6 degrees right now!). But just as my business coach reminded me on my previous session, there’s still a lot of work to do before I can make money from my side hustle. As she shared with me all the ways to engage better with my audience, I am struck with a realization that there is more work to do. I need to be patient a little longer. We don’t have to associate patience with waiting. Instead we can associate patience with exploration. Consider patience as an opportunity for you to explore something different and learn something more. Don’t wait for the money to come, for that special someone to arrive, but instead pick up a new hobby and join a new community. Explore something different while you wait for what you deserve to come to you. You may just find what you are looking for.
I understand that owning the Peloton bike or a Digital membership is not a common thing. It’s not only because it’s at a premium cost but simply, not everyone likes to bike while looking at a screen. I get it. I am not trying to convince you to get a bike. I am also not telling you that the only way that you can be happy is to learn to get a Peloton membership. What I am sharing with you are the words that struck my heart and changed my mind. My hope is, as I share these words with you that you can also be encouraged, motivated, empowered to change your own mind.
So that you also may find peace and happiness within yourselves.
