It’s Friday morning and I’m typing this with my morning coffee (black, with natural cocoa and a dash of real maple syrup). I’m already anticipating heading to the gym to play in my noon-time basketball league. A gathering of guys running around, competing, and playing a game we love. 

Things can get intense on the court, but once everyone steps outside the lines, the reason why we show up comes back into focus. It’s great to win, but at the end of the day, we come to sweat. Or at least, I do.

After an hour and a half (or two) of running around the court, my clothes are completely saturated with water and salt that was previously in my body. I’ve never gone to the trouble of measuring, but I’m sure I lose at least a couple pounds of fluid each time I visit the gym.

After a shower, I head to my car feeling like I accomplished something. I put my wonderful machine to work, I worked my muscles, and I honored my body.  

So, I’m a big fan of sweating. A simple formula for a cool life? Make sure you sweat and laugh every day.

What do I find so appealing about sweat? Well, in order to really get a good sweat going, you have to push yourself, you have to get in the game, you have to work. In some ways, you have to see what you’re made of. In my experience, sweat breeds a sort of confidence; a self knowledge that when the going gets tough that you can handle it. Pushing yourself to the point of sweating means that you’re using what god gave you. 

Sweat cleanses. Sweat renews. Sweat calms. A good sweat pushes the reset button and removes toxic energy from your system. Good for your body, even better for your head. 

Let it rain.