Where the Head Goes… | Original Strength

Where the Head Goes…

Categories: Blog, Pressing RESET, Strength, Righting Reflex, encourage
Jan 09, 2024

The human design is so amazing. We are born helpless and grow into amazingly sophisticated, conscious, thinking, athletic, and movement beings. Some would argue that we are the apex of all creatures that walk or move through the earth. They’ll get no argument from me; the human being is amazing. 

But that’s what we are designed to be: amazing. We are born weak to become strong. We are born with large heads to force strength to happen but also to house our enormous brains that are capable of change and growth throughout our lifetime. We are born with a ferocious curiosity to explore, learn, and absorb. It’s just amazing…

Have you ever pondered this? Did you even know that we are born with a movement template that moves us into creating neural networks that grow our brains? Did you know those movements take advantage of our enormously large head (relative to our new body) to knit our body together in strength? 

What I mean is you were born with a head that weighed roughly 30% of your body weight. You were also born with a righting reflex purposed to get you to hold your head level with the horizon when you were right side up. This is a miraculous feat of strength. Think of it. Day in and day out, this reflex “encouraged” you to gain control of the weight of your very heavy, large head. You were born with a unique leverage disadvantage that paved the way for resilience and strength to unfold in your body. 

The stronger you became, the more you could move. The more you could move, the stronger you became as you learned to masterfully navigate your body with and against the pull of gravity. The new movements you learned and the new abilities you accumulated also further built your brain, allowing it to embark on complicated things like learning, recognizing, speaking, and regulating your emotions. 

A large head, a blank yet curious mind, and a lot-a-bit of wonder – that’s the human design that led to an amazing You. 

Now, as an adult with a “normal” sized head but long levers (legs and arms), hopefully, a curious mind still intact, and a huge amount of both wonder and potential, your design still leads to an even more amazing You. 

I guess the point is you were born to be amazing. We’ve all been awesomely and wonderfully made to grow in health, strength, and joy. But the rub is, we’ve been designed to grow through struggle. Whether it be struggling through life, learning how to navigate a large head against gravity, or struggling our way through hardships, loss, and sorrow. Our struggles lead to the growth and refinement of our strength, health, and well-being. 

You don’t remember, but it wasn’t easy gaining control of the weight of your big head as a child. You do remember, but it wasn’t easy getting to the other side of whatever tragedies you have faced. But you made it. And you’re stronger now. That’s your design: grow through struggle. It’s how you were born, and it’s how you will live. 

Whatever you’ve been through, whatever you are going through, you are made to make it through to the other side. And on that other side, there is relief, gratitude, wisdom, strength, and joy – the very things you were made to have and experience. It just doesn’t feel like it when you’re in the middle of a struggle. This is because you have a ground-zero view of the struggle, and you can’t separate yourself from the issue, the situation, or the time to step back or look back. 

This is why it is so important to gain control of your head – this is why you are designed to gain control of your head. Where your head goes, your body and your life will follow. You were born with a righting reflex to get your head right and level with the horizon. Likewise, you also need to get your head right with your life’s struggles. 

Don’t let your struggles fill your head with defeat, lies, and fears. Keep adjusting your gaze, and keep looking Up. Hold onto hope, knowing “this too shall pass.” Because it will. Especially if you know you are going to GROW through it. 

Where the head goes, your life will follow. It’s a parallel truth to your design. Know you are going to grow through whatever you are facing, and keep looking Up. Let your struggles perfect your strength. You were born to do this.