Work it Out

Imagine yourself at home, on the couch sitting and thinking. You peer down at your skinny arms and the few undesirable pounds that cling to your stomach. You say to yourself that you have to options, to get up and go out to the gym, or stay at home and watch television(Heaven forbid that you miss the next episode of Lost!). Going to the gym and working out is going to be hard work, and you are worried that it will hurt and leave you sore. On the other hand, staying home is easy, and oh-so comfortable.

Such a choice is one that is replicated in our everyday lives. We constantly are confronted with deciding between the hard road or the easy path, and the repercussions from those choices are much larger than we realize. Loeb is concise and accurate when he says that our souls shrink as we shrink from the world. How many times have we not spoken because of our fear of something? Too much do we idly stand by and keep silent what our heart so desparately wants to declare but our mind wont allow it. Speaking up, acting out, or taking a risk may hurt. We may have to pay a price for standing for justice and equality, just as Derrick Bell did. Although he lost his prestigious job, he stayed true to his beliefs and morals that he so bodly declared. He refused to stay in his comfort zone whilst his values melted away.

Although it may hurt to hold fast to your beliefs and morals, the growth that comes after is worth it tenfold. Just as muscles must be torn before they become stronger, our souls must be tested before they can grow.