I’d like to welcome our guest blogger today: Katie, from WishAndWhimsy.com. After reading and showing some love in the comments, feel free to mosey on over to her site for some amazing tips on fitness, stellar recipes and all the awesomeness that is Katie.
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I’m Katie and I blog over at Wish and Whimsy. I admire runners. But I’m not a “runner.” Sure I run from time to time, but I’m not as dedicated as Pavement Runner.
I’m just your average girl with nothing special about me. Before recognizing the importance of healthy living, I dabbled in every sport and every hobby. I never failed at a new fitness pursuit, but I never excelled either. Until recently, I considered my lack of excellence as personal failure. We all want to be the best-of-the-best, the cream-of-the-crop, right?
I measured success as achieving number one seed spots or adding trophies to my collection. I wanted to bring home gold. But even when I finished a competitive sport in good standing, I never saw it as good enough. I finished seasons and then went on to try a new fitness pursuit. But still, I placed personal pressure to “succeed” in my terms, only ending up discouraged again.
Constant discouragement does not set the stage for a happy and healthy life. I became indifferent in my fitness life. If I couldn’t be the best at one thing, why try? The lack of physical fitness or interest in my health made me pack on a few pounds and become even unhappier with myself. I’d never been comfortable in my own skin, but I didn’t do anything about it either.
I lived a lackluster life until my Mom was diagnosed with two different types of cancer in two different places at the same time. Watching my Mom struggle with her surgeries and treatments alerted me to the changes I needed to make in my own life to help prevent going through the same down the road. Hearing “cancer” in your family puts life into perspective.
About a year ago, I went with my Mom to her first radiation treatment. Sitting in the waiting room, seeing people in all stages of cancer made me realize the preciousness of life. I recognized I was taking my own good health for granted. I wanted to take better care of my life and make my health the best it could possibly be. Sine cancer now runs in my family and I need to make healthy living my one big passion, my focus, and my drive. I recognized the necessity that I must make better choices now to set the stage for a better tomorrow.
I may not be the best at one fitness pursuit like running or swimming, but I can be the best at being me. No one can live my life any better. If there’s something positive that can be said about seeing Mom face cancer, it is her inspiration to me to passionately pursue health, to make the best choices I can in order to set the best health example to others.
I’ve reclaimed my pursuit of dabbling in all kinds of fitness endeavors, but this time with a new perspective. I’m not looking to place and I’m not looking for a completion medal. I’m satisfied with pushing myself to be the best version of me that I can be. In turn, I’m creating a happy and healthy me. I’m no longer trying to impress others, but impress myself with achieving new levels I never thought I could reach. I celebrate my little victories, quietly. My drive and focus is on making the best choices I can make today to pave the way for my best days ahead. And I want to inspire others to pursue their own individual best life they can, too.
To be the best is to be the best at being you.
I hope you’ll keep up with my pursuit of the best life at Wish and Whimsy.
Wishing you the best, Katie
Twitter.com/wishandwhimsy | Facebook.com/wishandwhimsy |Instagram (@wishandwhimsy)
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Thank you for that amazing post Katie. You never fail to impress with your openness, honesty and sincerity in your writing. Keep inspiring and motivating. Wishing nothing but the best for you both.
Thoughts on Katie’s post?
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which makes you a whole heck of a lot more than average and shows us there is a TONTON of special things about you.
xoxo
Carla
Beautiful post Katie and thanks so much for sharing your story. I can completely relate about not being the best at any one thing but I’ve come to realize that that’s what makes me me. And like you said, I can only strive to be the best me possible.
Great post! Very inspiring!
So well said, all of it. Putting our health and priorities into perspective, and being the best at being US. Like you, I run but I’m not a “runner,” and it can be tempting to say I’ll never compare to ‘real’ runners and what’s the use, but then I remember where I was a year ago, two years ago. I couldn’t finish a mile and now I do 3 or more. All I can do is compare myself to myself, and be proud of such accomplishments.
My thoughts exactly – it’s about being the best you, not better than everyone else. I love that perspective!!
Dear Katie,
Maybe you missed this part, but on the day that you were born, you were already a dream come true…you were the precious baby that your Mother had always dreamed of and had wanted and nourished, and even loved already as you grew for nine months, right next to her heart. It seemed like she knew you already, and the first time she saw your face, eyes round and bright, little tiny nose and pink mouth just barely open, she kissed and cuddled you in her arms,
while a continuous stream of warm tears rolled down her face, and she said “hello” to you, “hello, sweet baby” and you knew that you were loved like no other could ever be. In that simple, sweet moment, Katie, you were already the BEST, the ORIGINAL, the ONE AND ONLY, the most SPECTACULAR, OVER THE MOON, NEVER BE ANOTHER ONE, YOU. I hope you will read this aloud to yourself, take your time saying these words. They are absolutely the ultimate truth, you can trust them and as you read them, you’ll come to know this, too. In joy, Barb