Who Are You Fighting For?

In our world, struggle has become unnecessary.

Got a headache? There's a pill for that.

Don't want to study? You don't have to; there's Cliff Notes... or you can just hire someone to write your paper for you.

Want 6-pack abs? Just drink this shake instead of eating food, and strap this electrical stimulation belt on. Voila. Abs.

Though arguably convenient, these shortcuts have led us to become a little, well, soft. We have learned that we don't have to deal with pain, and that all we need to escape it is a magic pill. So when we start feeling the darkness creeping in, be it depression, anxiety or just situational blues, we interpret it as something horribly wrong within ourselves that needs to be "fixed."But most of the time, covering the pain up with bandaid shortcuts doesn't make it better; it makes it worse. When we can't solve it with shortcuts, we push it away, pretending it's not there or stuff it down to deal with later because we've forgotten how to be in it.Being so far out of practice of DEALING with our pain, it overwhelms us when it comes. We don't know what to do, and our fear of talking about it exacerbates this condition. Then, when we finally do seek treatment (a step that 2/3 of people with depression never take), we expect them to do the healing for us.The real wrong here is the idea that we need to look outside ourselves to "cure" our pain. Since we've learned to get our problems solved by external sources, we've forgotten how to fight for ourselves.My mission is to re-educate you.

You are worth fighting for, and I want you to let me prove it to you. [tweet]

Today, I'm launching a crowdfunding campaign for The Strong Inside Out Tour to empower the struggling through fitness.

Here's our campaign video:Here's what I believe:

STRUGGLE IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD EMBRACE. One cannot get stronger without it.

When experienced first-hand, THE PHYSICAL EFFORT OF A HARD WORKOUT CAN MAKE US MORE RESILIENT IN OUR DAILY LIVES.

BY INJECTING INTENTION INTO OUR WORKOUTS, WE BECOME MORE MINDFUL AND DRIVEN IN EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO, causing us to lead more purposeful, fulfilled and happy lives!

This isn't about covering up your darkness with sunshine and rainbows so that you can pretend as well as the person next to you. This movement is about showing you that you're strong enough to fight through the darkness and come out stronger. This movement is about dealing with the root of your struggle so that we can release its power over you.We're already scheduled in Portland, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Denver and Boston for full-scale fitness events. Read more about what we do here.When you support the tour, you support the end of victimization, the release of struggle, and the embodiment of strong. Not to mention that 50% of our proceeds from these events go directly to our favorite suicide prevention charity, To Write Love On Her Arms.Please consider donating to the tour and sharing it with your near and dear. We have some great perks available this year that I can't wait to send your way.Every day, I am thankful for the darkness I went through because it brought me to this.  Donate, and you're helping us show the "hopeless" that they will one day feel the same.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND SHARE THE MOVEMENT!

Thank you, Strongies. I can't wait to sweat this struggle out with you.Stay strong,AmyP.S. Many thanks to the limitlessly talented Caleb Wojcik for shooting and editing this year's video!