We all have a “little idiot"

I had a client this week who with a mix of humor and frustration called her back “little idiot.”

It made me smile and it made me think. We all have a “little idiot” — a knee, a back, insomnia, digestion…something that interrupts our plans and tests our patience.

When the body doesn't cooperate, irritation is human and you don't have to be pretend it doesn't bother you. Something can feel painful, inconvenient and annoying and calling it out is part of listening to your body.

What I've learned is that frustration isn't the problem. Staying in a fight with your body is. When you start thinking of the body as a teammate rather than an obstacle or a problem to solve, trust begins to grow. Tension or discomfort become messages to respond to. A willingness to adjust something— your pace, your diet, your training load, your expectations, let's the nervous system know “I've got you.” That's how trust is rebuilt. Not through perfection or force, but through steady respect.

If something in you feels like a “little idiot” right now, consider this an invitation. Not to push harder or analyze every sensation, but to move from opposition to partnership and soften even just a little. And maybe, the little idiot will start to feel like a partner again.