Every thought is a weight you choose to lift.
When my kids were younger, they'd say, "I can't do this," and I'd make them rephrase it: "I have not yet mastered that."
Cue the eye rolls. But they got it. And now, as adults, it's part of who they are.
It's something I think about this time of year, when it gets dark early and energy dips. Most people quietly let their strength slide, both the physical kind and the mental kind. They tell themselves they'll get back on track in January when life feels lighter. But right now? It feels too hard, so they stop.
But what if "can't" is just a story we've repeated long enough that we started to believe it?
The Body-Mind Connection
Your body reflects what your mind tells it.
If you feed yourself doubt, your energy drops. If you feed yourself belief (even quiet belief), your body responds.
This isn't fluffy self-help. Research in cognitive behavioral therapy shows that negative self-talk triggers the same stress response in your brain as a real threat. Your body reacts to that story: muscles tense, breathing tightens, energy drops.
But when you shift from "I can't handle this" to "I'm learning to handle this," everything changes a little. Not all at once, but enough.
That small shift creates movement instead of resistance. It opens up possibility instead of shutting it down.
True strength comes from the stories you tell yourself every single day.
Why Physical Strength Matters More Than You Think
Here's what happens when we stop moving. After age 30, adults lose 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade.
That might sound abstract until you realize what muscle mass actually does for you.
Muscle isn't just about looking fit or lifting heavy things. It's what gives you energy to get through your day without crashing at 3pm. It's why you sleep deeply instead of waking up every two hours. It's what keeps your mood steadier when everything else feels chaotic.
And yes, it's also protecting your bones, keeping you balanced, and preserving the independence that lets you live your life on your terms.
Strength shows up in how confidently you move and how capable you feel in your own body.
Here's what matters most: it's never too early, and never too late, to build strength.
Whether you're in your 20s laying a foundation, your 40s maintaining what you've built, or your 70s and beyond reclaiming what you thought was gone, resistance training works. Studies show that people in their 70s, 80s, and beyond can build significant muscle mass with consistent strength training.
Which means if you're younger, you're just getting started.
The benefits you feel tomorrow (better sleep, more energy, steadier mood) are the same ones protecting your future. The window doesn't close. You just have to show up.
The Movements That Matter
There are movements that build exactly the kind of strength that matters, and they don't require a gym membership or fancy equipment.
Planks build core strength, which protects your spine and improves your balance. Every time you twist to reach something, every time you get out of bed, every time you need to catch yourself from falling, that's your core doing the work. Try three sets of 20-30 second holds.
Glute bridges strengthen the muscles that power almost every movement you make. Strong glutes support your lower back, help you climb stairs, let you get up from a chair without using your hands. They're not glamorous, but they're essential. Start with ten bridges and work your way up.
Balance work (like standing on one leg) directly prevents falls. And falls aren't just about broken bones. They're about the fear that follows, the loss of confidence, the slow erosion of independence that happens when you stop trusting your body. Try it while brushing your teeth or waiting for your coffee to brew.
These aren't vanity exercises. They're life exercises. The season isn't asking you to add more intensity. It's asking you to show up consistently for the movements that sustain you. Small, consistent, sustainable. That's how you build strength that lasts.
What Fuels Strength
You can't build muscle without feeding it.
When it's dark before dinner and your energy feels heavy, you need meals that actually restore and sustain you.
Protein builds muscle and stabilizes blood sugar. Iron supports oxygen delivery to every cell in your body. Magnesium calms your nervous system. These aren't optional nutrients when you're trying to build strength. They're foundational.
This is why I'm obsessed with sheet pan meals right now. One pan, ten minutes of prep, and you've got everything your body needs working together.
Crispy chicken thighs (or double the chickpeas for a vegetarian version) with roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and chickpeas, all brushed with a maple-chili glaze that caramelizes into something that makes you want to lick the pan.
The protein fuels muscle recovery. The fiber keeps your energy steady. The complex carbs from sweet potatoes give you sustained fuel. And the fact that cleanup is one pan? That's the kind of practical win that matters when you're already tired.
You're not just eating dinner. You're giving your body the raw materials it needs to build the strength you're asking it to create.
The Practice of Reframing
Back to that phrase I taught my kids: "I have not yet mastered that."
Try it this week.
When you catch yourself thinking "I can't handle this," shift it to "I'm learning to handle this."
When you think "I'm too tired to move," try "My body is asking me to move differently today."
When you think "I'll never be strong again," try "I'm building strength in new ways."
This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything's fine. It's about creating space for growth instead of locking yourself into limitation.
Mental strength isn't about ignoring the struggle. It's about meeting it with steadiness. It's about choosing which weights you pick up and which ones you set down.
What This Season Is Really Teaching You
Believe you're capable, and you'll find a way. Believe you're not, and you'll find proof.
Both of those statements are true. The question is which one you're living into.
This season is about building what sustains you: muscles, mindset, motivation. It's about showing up for the plank holds and the mental reframes and the warm meals that fuel both.
It's about understanding that physical strength and mental strength aren't separate things. They're mirrors of each other.
When you show up to move your body, you're proving to yourself that you can show up. When you reframe a limiting thought, you're building the kind of mental muscle that carries you through hard seasons.
Every rep is practice. Every thought is a choice. Every meal is fuel.
You're not too late. You're not too old. You're not too far gone. You're exactly where you are, and from here, you can build.
The only question is: which story are you telling yourself?
