We hold these truths to be self-evident:
We are CrossFit affiliates. United in purpose and devoted in action to the spread of functional fitness throughout our world.
We believe in high-intensity exercise designed to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains. If we don’t really understand what that means, we look it up. And we study it until we know it like we know our middle names. More work faster. Every day.
We believe in the importance of the Workout of the Day. It doesn’t have to be the CrossFit.com WOD. It can be your WOD or my WOD or somebody else’s. We don’t have to agree which is best; we just have to CrossFit, physically and mentally.
We believe in the importance of Rest Days — and of learning on those days and every day. He who fails to learn on any given day is dead. Bring us to life.
We believe in the importance of competition and of community. We can have one and the other. Times will be written on the board. There will be a first finisher, and a second, and a third. And no one will get their feelings hurt — they will just try harder next time. We can battle and commune. Both can exist in a civil and productive society. This is that society.
We believe that the last-place finisher is trying as hard as the first-place finisher. And if they’re not, then it is our responsibility to help them learn how to work harder. They deserve our encouragement even more than the leaders.
We believe in the right of each affiliate to approach CrossFit in their own way: To teach it and adapt it in the best manner for their own affiliate members. We will support each other in our differences. Bickering is for fools. We will not be foolish. We will help each other.
We believe in what works. If something doesn’t work, we discard it and pursue that which does. There is no shame in experimenting and failing. There is only shame in never trying.
We are CrossFit affiliates. We work: we don’t just workout. We are building better bodies, better gyms, better minds, and better communities. We are building a better world.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:51 am
“We work: we don’t just workout. We are building better bodies, better gyms, better minds, and better communities. We are building a better world.” That is exactly why I love CF… Great as usual Lis….
Also- BAM!!
February 25th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Amen sista!
February 25th, 2010 at 9:02 am
WOW!!!! i love this! i will put this in my gym for all to see!! nice job ms liz!!
February 25th, 2010 at 10:09 am
absolutely great Lisbeth!!
February 25th, 2010 at 10:13 am
That was awesome! Is it ok for me to post this on my website. Thanks
February 25th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Beautifully put – you describe what we feel to a T – better than I could ever hope to articulate!
February 25th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Justin — go ahead! Thanks!
February 25th, 2010 at 10:54 am
And any day is a good day when Coach B is in the house! Whoo hooo! You inspire us every day!
February 25th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Love it! Will be posted in New London CrossFit!!
February 25th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Wow. Excellent post. Thanks, Lis.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Great post Lis, It’s what drives everyone. Not only are you an excellent trainer, you verbalize so well what you feel as well as what we all feel!!!
February 25th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Great post Lisbeth. This will be a “must read” for everyone.
February 25th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
hells yes!
February 25th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Rock On!!!! The community part is one of my favs of CF- Wehn I succeed I get encouragement and high fives, and when I have a harder day- I still get encouragement and high fives- cause we are all committed.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Great stuff Lis!! Gonna post this on our blog!!
February 25th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Great post. You always have the ability to verbalize what other as affiliates are thinking. This will be in our box as well. CrossFit Cedar Park
February 25th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
cool! I’m really just posting to see what little bug avatar I get though.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Tom, post again and see if it changes.
You know you want to.
February 25th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
OK (although this looks like a setup). On a serious note, amongst all the gems, this part stood out:
“Bickering is for fools. We will not be foolish. We will help each other.”
Love it!
February 26th, 2010 at 8:13 am
“There is no shame in experimenting and failing. There is only shame in never trying.”. Words to live by!
February 26th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
This is awesome! Would love to post on our site as well.
February 26th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Shannan — go ahead! Glad you like it.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Nice one Lisbeth! Can we reproduce your work for
our people to read?
February 28th, 2010 at 12:51 am
Posting on our site–and mentally put a big John Hancock on the bottom of it.
February 28th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
words well spoken… we’ll be finding a place for this declaration on our blog also!! thank you for saying it so well.
CrossFit Auckland
February 28th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Feel free to repost! Thanks!
March 1st, 2010 at 8:09 am
I always enjoy reading your stuff! Nobody says it better Lis! Nice work