Where there is no path, leave a trail.
August 26, 2012 – 1:15 pm
A dear friend texted me asking me, “Doesn’t it bother you people are not citing you as the source of new modalities of training, and then taking credit for the idea. You were coined ‘mobility’ in the early 90s, rolling around crawling and jumping like an ape while everyone laughed at your natural flow gymnastics, and all the other professionals thought your we’re crazy for trying to introduce club swinging for strength conditioning. It’s gotta bug you a little bit that you’ve been doing these things for twenty years before everyone else, and so few people credit you.”
I’m quite proud that I’ve managed to become successful without having to police ideas. It doesn’t matter who started pushing the snowball. It only matters that it’s rolling now, and that others are joining the momentum for greater health and wellness.
Sure, early on I faced ridicule for my crazy ideas on mobility, primal gymnastics and club swinging (the “3 Rings of Circular Strength Training”) but you accept being ignored, laughed at and face vitriol to make substantial contributions. When you succeed, everyone will be doing it. When it’s a household idea and no one remembers how it got started, then you’ve won.
If you want to carve a new path, or even just expand an old one, don’t expect credit. Just be grateful for the ability to make a contribution to others who start participating in honing the way for even more people to benefit. Me? I’ll just keep being a little off the beaten path, working on my mad ideas. Making people laugh at my audacity. :P
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ R.W. Emerson
Very respectfully,
Scott Sonnon
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