GoodFriday: On gardening, box breathing, & mindset shift

Happy GoodFriday!  

Here’s something I heard, thought, and did this week.

Something I Heard: Fitness is like a Garden

Earlier this week I received an email from Layne Norton’s team titled, The Truth About Change.

In the email, Layne uses the analogy of a garden:

Fitness is like a garden.

You don’t see results the day you plant the seed.

But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

Beneath the surface, change is taking place.

Roots are forming.

The foundation is being set.

The process has already begun.

But here’s the part most people miss: even when you can’t see the outcome yet…

You still have to show up.

The message goes on to explain that even when you don’t feel like doing the work, you still have to tend to the garden. Provide it with water by getting your workouts in. Give it sunlight by sleeping well and managing stress. Practice patience, because the seeds of change don’t grow overnight. And most importantly, trust the roots, that all of your efforts will eventually pay off.

It’s a good reminder that what we aspire to achieve doesn’t happen instantly, nor should it. The roots of the tallest redwoods took hundreds, even thousands, of years to grow before those trees could reach the sky.

So even if today feels off remember: the seeds have been planted, stay consistent, and give it time.

The results are coming.

Something I Thought: Question I’m Pondering

How can I reimagine something I don’t like doing as something I truly enjoy doing? What would be the outcome of this simple shift in energy?

Something I’m Doing: Box Breathing

I’ve been experimenting with different breathing techniques to help better regulate my stress throughout the day. Lately, I’ve been practicing something called Box Breathing.

It’s a simple technique where you take the same duration for each inhale, pause, exhale, and pause. The basic protocol looks like this:

• 4-second inhale

• 4-second hold

• 4-second exhale

• 4-second hold

Repeat for 5–10 cycles.

It may sound simple, but the impact is powerful. This technique quickly calms your nervous system, improves focus, and creates a noticeable shift in relaxation and stress response. It’s a simple tool you can use anytime, anywhere.

Until next week!

-Cameron Harn