What I believe

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-affiliates/2009/10/friday_091023.html
Thanks to Elizabeth for starting this.
1 - I believe I've increased what I know about fitness and how to work hard by many orders of magnitude. I believe I started out knowing more than most. I believe I'm still learning every day and that excites me.
2 - I believe that CrossFit can have a larger positive impact on the life of a family member, friend, co-worker, or soon-to-be friend than any other pursuit.
3 - I believe most of the 'diseases of civilization' result from the over-consumption of non-animal foods in general and sugar and high density carbs in particular, and that 20 years from now this will be acknowledged in the main stream. Eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit little starch and no sugar is a prescription for a long, full life characterized by the freedom to move however the spirit inspires, being able to give, and being able to enjoy.
4 - I believe that people will work harder to avoid pain than to get pleasure, and I believe everything we do, every day, is the result of our complex and often incorrect beliefs and unconscious associations about how to get pleasure and avoid pain. I believe that CrossFit helps people to re-associate short term pain to long term pleasure. I believe that's powerful spiritual medicine.
5 - I believe in a daily courage check through the WOD and find the random nature of the WOD to be unique in providing an arena for this courage check.
6 - There's an often commented pattern of New Year's resolutions to get fit every January, and marked by attendance at a typical globo gym, these resolutions largely fail by mid February. I believe that is not so much related to the lack of discipline of those involved as it is to the lack off effectiveness of the programming that is chosen. Choosing not to pursue minimally effective fitness programming is not a failure, it is a logical choice about cost benefit analysis (often unconsciously executed). CrossFit changes the equation such that the benefits outweigh the time spent; for example, the time away from family is returned many fold in what CFers have to give their families.
7 - I think the path Coach and Lauren created, the path of functional movements and highly coached, highly skilled athletes who move as their bodies were intended to move, will change the common understanding of 'What Is Fitness?' in a generation. The improved quality of life will be un-measurable and magnificent.
8 - I believe each CF practitioner should aspire to learn everything they can from Greg and Lauren and remain open to the inevitable day when someone takes those lessons and advances the state of the art even further (as measured by the standards that Greg and Lauren have made available for that purpose). We should be as loyal to improved work capacity and Greg and Lauren are.