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[/caption] If you’re a dedicated, passionate, health-conscious Functional Fitnesster, you’ve probably heard these words before: “Live a little.” My experience with “live a little” has always been negative. The words usually come up when you decline cake at a party, order water instead of pop or beer at a dinner, or tell someone you’re eating healthy and will take your coffee without sugar. “Live a little,” someone will say. The individual who suggests I need to live a little is implying what exactly? That I am dying? That my life would be more fulfilling if I ate Krispy Kremes and Pop-Tarts? I’m always perplexed by this meaningless advice. Where is the value in telling me how to live with no substantiated proof that he or she is living better? In fact, I guarantee that person is not. My theory is that this statement is born of envy and helplessness. I love training. I love eating clean. I love waking up in the morning (early) and feeling the WOD from the day before. I love my clear mind and happy, focused thoughts. I truly believe that when people tell me to live a little, they wish they could live as well as I do, but for whatever reason, be it lack of motivation, laziness or fear, they cannot and will not. So they don’t, and they try to encourage me to lower my standards with some good, old-fashioned peer pressure. And I’m not judging them. If they want to live a little, that’s OK. For them. But I’m not into living a little. I’m into living a lot. A lot longer, a lot better, a lot cleaner. I want to do the things I want for as long as I want. I want to fight aging and disease. I want to beat Mike at the RX’d men’s weight. I want to set new records tomorrow, at 50 and at 70. I want to wake up without a hangover, pick up something heavy and feel like I bettered myself. The next time someone suggests you need to live a little, say, “How?” When she tells you to eat more cake, drink more rye, and hit the couch more regularly, laugh (with just a little contempt) and invite her to do a Functional Fitness WOD. When she’s done–if she can finish–ask her, “When is the last time you felt this alive?” Don’t live a little. Live a lot.