Mikkei.com

The following is an article I wrote for this great fitness site. Find the story on the site here. “No More Wasted Nights” at clarkbartram.com

The night before Labor Day, I was tired. I was unmotivated. My Sunday was fast becoming a wasted night. Funny thing was, I new exactly what could make it better.

Do you ever just get a moment (or long string of moments) where you are just completely unmotivated to get off your butt and do something for yourself? I don’t like the feeling, and I’m starting to think that the convenience of the internet and watching movies via the internet is catching up on me.

One of my favorite punk rock bands, Strike Anywhere, was playing a more-or-less secret show that night. I knew when and where it was, but the draw of sitting on my bean bag and zoning out kept pulling me away from grabbing my car keys and leaving. A huge contributor to my hesitation to just pick up and leave was my routine. Between juggling work, staying in shape, and my personal life, I usually don’t have much time to get out and go do things like I used to. I hate to say it, but I have become comfortable with staying at home and not going out (Don’t doubt that this is going to change though).

Well, after putting off deciding whether to go or not for hours, I finally had a moment in which I saw things clearly. I realized that despite my complacency with staying at home and my strange mood, there was no reason not to go: I had a car, I had food I could bring, I’d probably run into some cool people I knew there, and one of my FAVORITE bands was playing. Not only were they playing, but they were playing in a close, intimate venue; something that becomes increasingly rare when a band gets as big as a they are.

So I made the decision to go, even though I could so easily sit in my room and spend my night without expending an ounce of effort. In spite of lingering laziness, I kicked myself into gear. I shaved my head, x’d up, grabbed my carrot juice, and jumped in the hybrid. As I got ready to drive, I decided to try to light a fire under someone else who I suspected may have been experiencing the same lack of motivation that I had. I called up my friend Ryan, with whom I’d been talking to all day in an effort to decide whether or not to go to the show. He’d long ago decided that he was too tired to make it out, but I figured it was worth one last try. He picked up the phone and before 10 seconds had passed, he said even though he was lethargic and had work at 6am on Labor Day, he wanted to go. I said I’d pick him up from his house in Malibu. It was already a decent drive into downtown Los Angeles to get to the venue, but I figured the company and good times would be well worth doubling my drive.

I got to his place in no time flat and he hopped in my car and we were off. Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway, we both had the feeling that we had made the right decision in coming out. When we got to the small warehouse we found that we were still going to be able to catch the majority of the show. Mind you, it was almost midnight when we got there; it was going to be a long night. We kicked back, taking in the whole scene until Strike Anywhere was up.

It had been a long time since I had really been motivated to be active at a punk rock show. For the past year, I’d typically steer clear of the moshpit and just observe from the back. I kind of had the feeling that I was “getting too old for this”. This time however, I made a decision beforehand: I was going to go for it and really get involved, just like I used to. Years ago, I’d really get into the music as a way to vent my frustration at my perceived problems and life-obstacles. I realized that, honestly, there were so many more reasons than that to be enthusiastic and energetic while a band was playing. The simple appreciation for life and an awareness of the present was more than enough reason to let go and, in a sense, lose myself in the oneness of this community of people that had turned out for the show.

As a bit of background on Strike Anywhere, they are one of the most sincere and energetic punk rock bands I’ve ever seen live. Their emphasis on ethical behavior, peace, and community strength have always made a positive impression on me.

Anyway, they started with a fast paced and heartfelt song called “Refusal.”
“Embrace the whole world as your kin. Truth to truth and skin to skin, begin!”
That lyric set the tone for the whole experience that night. The people in that room were like an huge family. We sang along at the top of our lungs to lyrics we believed in and packed in so tight there was no such thing as “personal space”.

The set was intense, the message was pure and thoughtful, the feeling was present and real. Through this cathartic experience, my friend Ryan and I were able to become rejuvenated in body and soul. We went in tired and unmotivated. By the end, we were excited and ready to tackle the next big thing in our lives.

In writing this, I’m trying to do a bit more than just relate a story. I want to emphasize that you are responsible for getting yourself motivated. If I had a fool-proof formula that you could have on call for those lethargic and lazy moments, I’d give it to you. Unfortunately, I don’t believe such a formula exists. What I can definitely recommend however, is that whatever challenge or decision you are facing, there is always something there that you can focus on to get you going. It may be buried deep and it may be overshadowed by all the reasons that are screaming at you to back down, but if you can get to a clear mental place and focus on the positive, you can motivate yourself to do anything. For me, I simply thought of the incredibly positive experience that I would have and realized that if I passed it up, I would regret it. So with that said, know that it is possible to overcome the seemingly daunting mental, emotional, and even physical obstacles that will try to prevent you from doing what you truly want in life.