Never Compare. Comparing Yourself To Someone Else Is How You Falter With Your Dream. You Don’t Know

Usually, it seems like when I tell someone that, they get excited. Especially if they’re into the lifestyle

Imagine a life lived like this. Fully happy in your roles, everyone and everything in its place. A house made into a home, a couple made into a family. Christmas has always made me feel that warm glow of family, hearing the kids running around as me and my future spouse have a cup of coffee, watching the excited looks on their faces as they scramble to divide up the presents under the tree, my hand resting on her swelling stomach, a new life growing inside of her. Bliss.

Christmas is coming. As usual my husband wants me to get our home all decorated with Christmasy vibes, so our family and friends can come over for the party. This year is a bit different though. He wants me to wear this tight, flowing dress that shows off what we had been busy doing secretly over the past year. Or may not so secretly, at least our neighbour heard us, I think. He wants me to flaunt my maternal curves, my thick and round belly that is carrying his legacy. He wants to parade me around as his trophy wife, his pregnant trophy wife, asking everyone to place their hands on my belly and feel what he has done to me. And perhaps, what I want him to do to me, over and over again.

Fuck. Yes. All this

Want More, Do More

We all know people that things seem to come easy to/for:  The runner that can run five miles while barely breathing hard.  The salesperson that puts in the least effort but has the best results.  The student that gets straight As while never cracking a book.  The examples are endless.

Unfortunately, this is often poison for most people, as their own sense of entitlement makes them believe that they should be rewarded the same fruits while exerting the same perceived effort.

There are two things to consider in these situations:

1) You’re only seeing the end result of a lot of blood, sweat and tears.  While most people don’t want to face that this is the truth, this covers the majority of those examples.

2) Some things simply are easy to some people, and that has absolutely nothing to do with you.

These two facts are not mutually exclusive.  For example, LeBron James would’ve probably gone down as one of the greatest basketball players to ever pick up a basketball if he would’ve only put in the same effort as everyone of his teammates that he has ever had.  In LeBron’s case, he also outworks everyone else that he plays with and against.  Like him or hate him (I tend to lean toward the latter), you cannot question neither his natural ability nor his work ethic.

Nonetheless, feeling sorry for yourself when an important task is challenging for you (yet seemingly simple for someone else) is a way to ensure that you’ll never have success in whatever goal you are looking to achieve.  Let’s face it:  We cannot control the things that we are naturally really good at.  We don’t get to pick our parents and the environment of which we are raised in.

What we do have the opportunity to choose is how much effort we put into something.  I know, I know - this just kills the motivation of those that are looking for a secret shortcut to success or an easier way to become great.

Want a secret?  Here.  It doesn’t fucking exist.  

There’s no abs in eight minutes.  

40 hours per week?  Minimum fucking standard.  Showing up when you absolutely have to will ensure that you barely get by.

Running sucks and is hard?  Of course this is true when you don’t fucking do it.

I haven’t mentioned it in a bit but all I (still) hear is time.  I don’t have time.  How do you “find” time?  I wish I had your schedule.

No, you fucking do not.  

How do I find time?  I don’t look for time, I make time.  I don’t stare endlessly at my phone.  I don’t engage in idle chatter.  I rarely, if ever, watch TV.  I schedule my workouts like I’d schedule a day in court, a funeral, my kids’ graduation or weddings.  I minimize social time to the absolute essential.  I do not “go out”.  I listen to books in the car or make important phone calls, not calls to BS.

I prepare.  I have my food ready to go.  My workout clothes are laid out.  Shoes are ready to slip in and go.  Coffee is in the maker BEFORE we go to bed.

30-60 minute workouts?  Fuck that - I put down over 15 hours per week, every week.  

Want to be the top at your job?  First in, last out, every day.  Period.  And when you are there, work like your life depends on it.  The 40 hour work week is designed to keep you poor and just motivated enough to show up and do enough so that you keep your job.  That felt miserable to type - I can only imagine how miserable it is to live.

Study.  We are eternal students.  Our brains are wired to adapt and constantly learn, so be ahead of the game.  You can find information on anything in the world that could make you a better athlete, spouse, parent, business owner, entrepreneur, salesperson, etc.  

Hint: That shit isn’t on Facebook, Twitter, or IG.  And it isn’t comedy.

In a world of mediocrity, it isn’t hard to stand out; to do a bit more and to inspire others to do more simply by your actions.  

It requires discipline - eating better, training longer, training harder, waking up early, staying up late, picking up those books when you could be watching the game - it’s not what others do.

But if you want to accomplish what others can’t, you have to be ready to do the things that others don’t and won’t do.

Talking about it is NOT enough.  Whatever your goal is, figure out whatever action YOU think you need and then multiply those actions by 10, and that is the effort required.  

It’s the ONLY way.  Stop looking for easy - it’s making you a pussy.

To any runner who thinks they are “Too slow”

To any runner who thinks they are “too slow”.

Most people who classify themselves as runners favorite pastime is to screenshot and post their latest workout around the block. Focusing on their pace and time it took them to do it. Which may leave you feeling a little inadequate knowing your own times without having to post them every time you take a trip around your usual route.

While there is nothing you can do to combat the never ending workout selfies and running timer’s people post on their own social media you can choose to ignore them. Every time you get out there and run, you are free.

You are never too slow to burn the calories and work on losing the weight. No matter how slow you go it is better than sitting still.

You are never too slow to watch the sunrise and enjoy and still quiet before the earth wakes up for the day while you’ve already began your journey.

You are never to slow to give a fellow runner a nod of approval or even a labored “Good morning” as you past each other on the dewy morning sidewalk.

You own the road.

You may start to overthink your runs. You may ever start to think am I good enough to be out on the road. No one is watching you (really), everyone else you see if just trying to hit their mile times same as you and if they are walking, well, they are probably trying to think about what to make for dinner. Or if he’s going to text back, but at least they are moving forward.

You will still get stronger

Your quads will get stronger; you will fall in love with the power of your feet striking the cement, or the dirt. Your will be amazed as the miles become easier and you begin to set your alarm clock at 5:45 am and even if that doesn’t get any easier. The miles will.

You revel in your success

You are not to slow to chug chocolate milk and remember doing the same thing as a 7 year old.

You are not to slow to become a runner, because you already are one.

Instant Life Improvement

Being sad is ok. You don’t need to medicate.

Get sore from a workout.

Stop living for the weekend. Live in the moment. Even on a Monday.

Put down your phone in a restaurant.

Share your goals with someone who will support you and someone who will doubt you. Use both for fuel.

Plan to do something that is absolutely insane in less than a year. Something you will have to work tirelessly to accomplish.

Don’t set out to inspire others. Let your work and actions speak louder than your words or social media post.

Write two obituaries. One for IF you died today and one for if you die in 10 years - aside from your age, what would be different?

Turn off the news.

Fast.

Be happy alone.

Be happy with friends.

Let go of the past.

Exercise.

Do something hard every day.

Watch a child play.

Sit on a patio in silence.

Read a book a month. Then read a book a week.

Call someone that makes you laugh.

You are stronger than you know.

Write your life resume.

Go meat free.

Understand another point of view.

Go one day without saying anything negative.

Do something for someone that could never repay you.

Walk 10,000 steps in one day. Then 20,000. Then 30,000.

Remember that through it all, you are still here and everything you have survived has made you stronger.

Run as fast as you can as far as you can. Then do it again. And again.

Your story starts today. You have full creative control over the main character.

Reason #1 why she doesn’t feel bad about cheating on you

I would actually look forward to running on this track

Bad days are part of the process. Please don’t give up.

Def ok