As the age-old saying goes, life is a journey, not a destination. As four-time Classic Physique Olympia champion Chris Bumstead enters a new phase of his life, he often openly talks about his thoughts on the deeper aspects of life during podcasts and interviews. With his focus shifting from competitive bodybuilding to other priorities, Bumstead recently penned down his thoughts in an Instagram post. His caption reveals the insight into a champion’s mindset and characterizes his personal growth ahead of his soon-to-be-married life.
The emphasis that our society lays on achievements and external validation often leaves little to no room to contemplate the deeper meanings of life. As Chris Bumstead is slowly approaching the end of his prestigious career, he is starting to channel his energy into personal growth and improvement. This transition that Cbum is going through reflects growth in his consciousness. He explained in his recent post that every person maintains an internal as well as an external scorecard for their achievements and success.
He pointed out in the caption:
“We all have an internal and external score card we use to keep track of our lives. The external being traditional successes, money, trophies, etc. The internal being the intangibles such as effort, character, integrity.”
Gratitude often has the power to transform an individual’s mindset and perspectives. As he is maturing and stepping into other ventures, including his business journey, Chris feels grateful for everything that life has thrown his way. Despite all the challenges that he has faced, including struggles with mental issues, Bumstead feels satisfied with his accomplishments.
“I must be getting old realizing nothing in this life lasts forever. The opportunities of today may never present themselves again. I don’t mean this as something to dread, but lately it just feels like a reason to be grateful for where I am at,” wrote Bumstead.
Concluding his post, Bumstead points out that what actually matters is the efforts an individual puts in. He explained that the qualities and character of a person are often much more important than respective accomplishments. ‘Cbum’ states that he will be forever satisfied with himself, knowing pretty well that he gave it his best. After all, the journey holds much more value than the destination itself.
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“So when it’s all over I have promised myself that my internal score card will take precedence over the external…and I can honestly tell myself I did everything in my power to achieve it, that I became a better man along the way, that I enjoyed the journey, and I never fucking quit.”
As Bumstead is training to win his fifth Olympia title at the moment, fans are curious to see if he will ever step foot on the Mr. Olympia stage under the open category. Only time will tell what holds for the reigning Classic Physique Olympia champion, but he heads into the unknown with a sense of pride and accomplishment.