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Stop Selling Yourself Short!

"I ONLY ran a half marathon."  

I hear this all the time from newbie runners as well as marathon vets.   I mean, why bother running at all if it's "only" a half?  It's as if the value of 13.1 is "less than." 

In fact, I'm guilty of this myself. Having run 13 full marathons, I've said, oh it's no big deal, I'm "only" running a half.   Or walking around at race expos, hearing first time runners saying, I'm "only" running the half, as if they are less than or embarrassed, or scared of being judged for running 13.1 instead of 26.2 miles. 

I call BS on not only myself for saying this, but on everyone else who says it, and anyone who judges another person.  13.1 is not easy, I don't care how conditioned you are.  It's still a long ass time to be running.

Never say "I only" did or received ANYTHING!  Whether it's a race, a workout, a project, a class, an income, number of pounds lost, or anything at all, when you say "I only... fill in the blank" you sell yourself and your value short.

In fact, you're pretty awesome and lucky for "only" being able to run a half marathon. Doing this would be a dream for someone else who maybe can never run because they have no legs. It really is all about perspective.  When I catch myself saying "I ONLY make X amount of dollars" working on a project, I need to stop my stinkin' thinkin' and celebrate it. Others would be so happy to make that, or even learn the skills it took to do the work in the first place, even if I made no money at all.

I have clients working their way back from injuries, where they've been brought back to square 1, literally starting from scratch with their health, saying "I only did 1 leg lift."  Why not celebrate that 1 leg lift! I mean, why are we so quick to decrease our value based on our limits.  Instead of thinking of that 1 leg lift as a set back, think of it as a set up for a comeback!  1 leg lift will turn into 2, and so on. 

Coming back from pregnancy was a humbling experience, where I had to retrain my body, heart, and muscles to perform and function as they once did.  I would catch myself all the time selling myself short. Saying things like "I only did a 10 minute bodyweight workout" or "I only went for a walk around the block."  Looking back, I should have celebrated those moments, instead of feeling "less than" and that I should be doing more to get back to a fitness level where I was at before pregnancy.

My challenge to you all, after reading this, is to start taking a look deep inside your thoughts and words, and catching the moments you sell yourself short.  Catch the moments when you say "I ONLY did_________."     The more often you notice those thoughts or words, the more often you can change your stinkin' thinkin' and start to celebrate the accomplishments you are achieving.  

This cartoon perfectly describes my thoughts on this subject.

via MEME

As you celebrate your accomplishments and think of them as victories instead of disappointments, you'll start to find more opportunities to appreciate and celebrate. That's just how the world works.  

So hang your race medals high, and be proud of you accomplishments.  I mean, you're ONLY human, afterall! 

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