The effort behind the effortlessness

We all know someone who seems to make healthy decisions without a second thought. Even when inconvenienced they rise to the occasion with composure.

They mentally massage menus to coax out meals that match their mission.

They fit in the time to stay fit.

They set goals, achieve them, and make it look easy.

How did they get to this point?

Compare them to the performers in a ballet. The movements performed in a ballet can also seem effortless.

The leaps and twirls appear second nature. For anyone unfamiliar with the nuance, it’s easy to confuse the reality.

Then it happens… a subtle mistake is made.

There is a momentary flash of humanity in the otherwise flawless flurry of fouettes.

It takes all but a glimpse to expose the secret behind the magic.

And in the case of a ballet, the secret isn’t some parlor trick. The secret is that the demonstration of grace is in fact grueling. The display of ease is tethered by tension.

Moments of effortlessness are possible after a life of effort.

The secret is the same for our healthy heroines and heroes. They have done the hard work that allows them to make previously hard decisions with ease.

They are still human. They just struggle with different challenges now.