BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Drop the comparisons

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about something that can not only rob you of your joy but rob you of your motivation... Comparison. 

Randi is third from right

People come in all sizes, shapes, paces, colors, and ages. And they also have different strengths, gifts, and abilities. Each one of us is about as unique as they come. We know all this right? Well if we know it, why do we continue to compare ourselves to others rather than embracing our uniqueness? Not just in running but in appearance, in parenting, in our careers, in our talent and a million other things? And while there are hundreds of answers to those questions, I love what my friend and fellow runner Randi Brown had to say yesterday, something that inspired this week's blog.

There’s so many people and things to compare ourselves to online. Everyone showing the best & most sparkly version version of themselves. It’s weird. 7 billion people and we get to see what everyone is best at, the best moms, best hair, most fit, most organized, most randomly talented or unnaturally amazing at bizarre things.
I don’t care how confident you are, it starts to mess with you after a while. Even the strongest of us start to wonder why we aren’t ALL of those things too - which is impossible, BTW!
Listen, I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but the raw, unfiltered, unedited version of you is pretty freakin’ fabulous. Your natural- HUMAN- self is stunning and real and so incredibly beautiful. Don’t let this messed up reality we’ve created on social media convince you otherwise.

And why is comparing ourselves to the photos and stories posted to social media so destructive to our self-esteem and psyche? Because this "messed up reality" isn't always real and the comparison of ourselves to a standard we can't meet, or were never designed to meet, steals our joy and motivation. And while you and I can't force people to post only the raw, unfiltered, unedited versions of themselves, we can remember that behind every perfect selfie, every perfect post, and every perfect tweet is a story that's usually less than perfect.

To illustrate that, let's check out four selfies that came up under my google search of the "perfect runner selfie" and the possible backstories behind them.

This runner caught some serious air. Looks like she did it with little to no effort too right? Well think about this. Most likely, this took several takes. And if her phone only has a 10 second timer, she had to sprint away only to turn around, run towards her phone and then do this cheerleader style jump. Probable truth to this perfect selfie? She's tired, out of breath, and in need of a friend to take her photos. 

Now this runner looks nearly perfect too right? Nice stride, nice clothes and nice background. She most likely spent an enormous amount of time putting this outfit together and then even more time setting the timer on her phone to take this picture as she circled back over and over until it clicked as she was right in the middle of the photo. Not just in the middle though, but with both feet off the ground, head focused forward and a look of ease on her face. Probable truth to this perfect selfie? This picture cost her 10-15 minutes of her time not counting the time it took to dress in the perfect outfit. 

Now this one had me laughing. If you've ever taken a selfie with your significant other like I have, you know that you rarely get it right on the first try. Usually one of you has something stuck in their teeth, their eyes are closed, their hat is crooked or the sun just isn't in the right place. This final picture was most likely the result of several spins around to catch the perfect background, a few shifts of the ponytail and the buffs and a coordinated effort to smile at the same time. Did I mention that his hands are most likely cold at this point? Probable truth to this perfect selfie? It came after five earlier attempts where she said, "I don't like the way my hair looks here," or he said, "Darn, my eyes were shut."

Group selfies. You gotta love them right? Everyone always looks like they're having a great time. But as we know that's not always the case. In a group of smiling runners, at least one person is crying on the inside and using running as a way to cope with life. Someone else is most likely worrying about a loved one, the state of their marriage or how they're going to pay their rent. Probable truth to this perfect selfie? Life is not perfect for any of them but time spent with friends, they know, can turn their frowns into smiles... at least for a few miles. 

So there you have it friends. Before you go comparing yourself to anyone, keep in mind the words of Dr. Seuss, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." So be you!! Be your raw, unfiltered, unedited version of you that, in Randi's words "is pretty freakin’ fabulous." Celebrate your uniqueness, embrace your flaws, and laugh when you see that seemingly perfect post or selfie knowing that life isn't perfect and neither is anyone on this planet. We're all a mess in one way or another but we're all stunning and real and so incredibly beautiful in our own ways. Choose to remember that. Now get out there with joy in your heart and a smile on your face. Today is your day! So... get on your way!

Happy Running!!!