Hands…

I saw a couple of you remarking on Facebook about your hands, and their woeful condition. “Unladylike”, “gross”, and “mannish” were all heavily used descriptors.

First of all, take care of your hands. No lotion, file down your callouses, and make sure you don’t have anything to catch on the bar. When you’re doing pull-ups? Use the monkey grip. Same goes for kettlebell swings.
I can’t (And wouldn’t if I could) do anything about the barbell callouses you get…
That said –

When you look down at your grubby mitts, and you make note of your hangnails, chipped nail polish, or hardened knuckles – take a brief moment to appreciate what your hands have done.
They’ve held your newborn child. They’ve been a source of comfort – for loved ones and perhaps even strangers. They’ve built forts, roads, and perhaps tended gardens. They’ve flipped a lock of hair out of a pair of eyes, they’re the second most used feature to reach out to another person – only your eyes reach out more than your hands. They provide you a living, they tend your family.
They’re also essential in this new you you’re creating.
Your callouses and scars are a mark of living your life, and hopefully, living your life as fully and enthusiastically as you can.

Take care of them, and perhaps have a small chuckle at that new nick and rough spot, but never ever forget what they’ve done, and what they’re going to do.