If you watch Sportsball like our mutual friend, Mike Bell, you’re probably familiar with this meme from this rant. For those uninitiated – team plays (really) poorly, coach is (really) mad, goes on rant in presser. Poor Dennis and the Cardinals knew exactly what they were getting into. The Bears’ D was really good that season and they intercepted Arizona’s QB something like 13 times that night for 6 baskets (still writing as Mike Bell in 3rd person). In this situation, you might say the Bears had a sense of integrity. Everyone knew they played great D, then they came out and delivered.
Integrity is the idea that your actions match up with whom you claim to be. It’s a sort of moral accuracy – do your actions match up with your value system?
This was a huge focus for co-leader training at #NP5ummit this past weekend. Since its beginnings, November Project and her members will proudly crow that we are a free, grassroots, all-inclusive fitness movement. Let’s chop each of those up and do a little self-assessment, shall we?
- Free. This is a principle that sets NP apart from most other workout groups. How many of us would truly be as fit and goal-oriented as we are if we were forced to pay for it? Some, sure, but not all. The NP herd thins significantly here.
- Grassroots. This is how this movement was built. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting either co-founder, BG or Bojan, you’ve probably heard at least one story of how they used to recruit. BG is fearless with his tactics, will talk to anyone (literally anyone), and have them drinking the kool-aid before you can say “Fuck yeah!” Both are adamant that recruitment is 287% more effective when done face-to-face, as opposed to social media. They’re not wrong. When was the last time you gave someone the hard NP sell? Posting on social media is great for exposure, but it’ll take at least 7 or 8 posts before your friends ask you about it. How long does it take to create 7 pieces of social content to even get to that conversation? How long does it take to find a single “in” to make your 30 second NP pitch?
Based on those questions, how grassroots are you, really? How often do you look to have that face-to-face conversation with a friend, co-worker, or stranger on a plane? How often do you throw up a sexy pic and caption on social media for the likes? We all do it. Social media has become second nature, more so than just having a chat. It’s less risky – the more likes we get, the better we feel. There’s less risk of rejection. Think about it, though. If you’re looking for that “in”, who isn’t flattered when someone notices something about you enough to strike up a conversation? There’s not as much risk as you think, and you might find striking up a chat with a complete stranger a total rush! How often do we do that, NP or otherwise? Hardly ever! Live on the edge, my friends! Defy your parents, go rogue and talk to strangers!
3. All-inclusive. Another foundational principle. If you #justshowup with a good attitude and ready to work, we don’t care if you’re brown, yellow, Peurto Rican or Haitian. We say we don’t care, but take a step back at your next workout and take mental stock of how “inclusive” we really are. Are good friends consistently working out together for the entire workout? Do they actively seek to bring others in or do they just do their thing on their own? How many people of color are there? Take a peek at our tribe and most others – not a lot of spice there, huh? What about people who don’t appear to be fit or regularly comb online sales for workout pants, moisture-wicking clothes and new running shoes? Generally, how often do you engage with people who don’t look like you, who don’t share your socioeconomic status, who haven’t run a race before, who don’t regularly exercise? How often do you socialize with different people within our tribe? Do you tend to hang tightly within your own clique? Do you subconsciously push people away by hugging them, then immediately turning to talk to your friends?
If you haven’t noticed by now, this is my call-out for all of us. We’re bullshitting most of the time because integrity is hard, it takes work. We talk a big game, float around on butterflies and rainbows during the workouts, then maybe tell one person at work how they need to #justshowup and they’ll understand. How much do we really engage with the world around us, truly digging into our communities to get on someone else’s level to understand why they haven’t made it to NP yet? Let’s put our money where our mouths are and start talking to people who look, dress, and act differently than we do.
As a tribe and as a movement we’re going to be doing things a little differently from now on. We’re owning our shit. If we’re really going to be a FREE, GRASSROOTS, ALL-INCLUSIVE world takeover, then we sure as hell better act like it. Put your big kid pants on and get ready for some opportunities to be what we say we are!
Don’t lose that vibe. Don’t fake that funk.
Woody
FRIDAY: Ruby Hill Park 530 + 615a
SATURDAY: 5 + 10 mi. trail runs at Staunton State Park, 7:30 sharp, $7/car entry fee
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