It’s April 1st and the first day of the Blogging A to Z Challenge. I considered talking about abs, arms or agility … built ultimately the word that I kept coming back to was, “athlete.”
You see I did not grow up as an “athlete.” Gym was the class I dreaded. Give me math any day of the week and I was a happy girl. But sports just did not come easy & I hated running. Why would any want to make their lungs BURN??
I remember one week in 7th grade gym, we were doing a softball unit. To pass the unit, we just had to hit ONE ball. The whole class easily hit that ball, some after a few tries. It was down to me and one other girl. Mrs. Harris threw one ball after another for what seemed like days. I did finally hit it, but man … that was humiliating!
Have you ever said, “But I’m not an athlete?” Believe me, I’ve been there. But what if you changed your mindset. What if you started to think, “I’m an athlete.” If this was something you really believed, how would you treat yourself differently? Would you fuel your body accordingly? Would you make sure to train your body as needed? Would you look at the amazing things that your body can do, instead of focusing on the things it can’t do?
You may still be doubting yourself, but I know you can do this. In 2008 I trained for and ran a half marathon. I was at close to my highest weight at the time, some where around 225 lbs. I was sloooow, but I did it!! Many people say, “Wow, I could never do that!” My reply? Sure you could … it’s a matter of training and believing that you can. If you want it, you got it!! I mean it.
I had every excuse as to why I couldn’t do it and why I couldn’t be an athlete. I was fat, I was out of shape. I broke my hip and pelvic bone just a few years earlier & have a huge pin the size of a pencil in my pelvic bone. I’m busy, not enough time. I’ve never even run a mile.
Drop the excuses. Look in the mirror and say, out loud, “I AM AN ATHLETE.” And keep repeating until you begin to believe it. When you get ready to eat a meal, think, “I am an athlete.” When you are planning your week, think, “I am an athlete.”
How would your life look different?
