I like to learn from extremes. What better place to learn strategies for peace and empowerment than from those who overcome the most oppressive conditions?
Prisoners of war are somewhere near the top of the list of those who are most oppressed. As a prisoner of war, the captors tend to control everything about the prisoners’ existence. These subjects are often tortured, malnourished, and introduced to sleep deprivation. Why, then, do prisoners of war use food strikes as a strategy against their captors?
While it seems counterintuitive, the reason is that any empowered choice gives us agency. As long as you can make a choice, we can avoid the plight of a deterministic reality. We can resist being a victim. That’s exactly why hungry prisoners of war refuse food. It’s one of the few options they have to exert control.
When the elements in your life within your control are constricted, I ask you to claim agency in the areas you can make free choices. No matter how small or seemingly petty it may be, make a choice. I ask you to do so if for no other reason than to avoid being a victim. After all, it’s not chemically possible in the brain to be happy and a victim simultaneously.
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
3/22/20 WOD
3 rounds for quality:
15 Sit Ups
20 Crunches
25 4-count flutter kicks
-Rest :60-
4 rounds:
:20 Isometric Squat hold
Immediately into 12 squat jumps
-Rest :90-
5 rounds (at flow pace):
12 Sliding Hamstring Curl
12 Lateral Split Squat/Side
12 Single-Leg RDL/Side