Being Rad and losing H8trs (at the sake of mere Grammar)

The advertising boffins at L'Oréal once touted: 

‘Because you’re worth it’…

 ...ironically to sell cosmetics designed to disguise imperfections, reclaim youth and cover up perceived flaws.
If you really were ‘worth it’ why would you need to increase your ‘currency’ in the first place? What kind of back-handed compliment were they dishing out to women (and other makeup wearers) of the time?

Too often we worry about what people think, what we can’t do, what we should do, how little time we have, and the inevitable fact that we’re getting slower, dumber, fatter, older, stupider, less cool, or a simultaneous combination of this all.

But before you throw out your makeup and retire to live out your days in a makeshift bomb shelter, with

some home-made clothes and self-penned manifesto, I’d like to propose an experiment…

My challenge for you today is this; be happy in this exact moment. It sounds ‘all very new-age’, but in a hyper-broadband speed world we rarely take the time to think about our own ‘moments of awesome’ and to truly appreciate those times when we hit the mark, or even exceeded our expectations.  It seems to me that we all have a predisposition to assume that if we already have achieved it, or are capable of it, it is;

a)      a mistake or fluke, or

b)      Something every single human could easily do with little practice and/or ability.

*The only exception to this that I can find seems to be famous rappers, heavy-weight boxers and Olympic sprinters; they seem to live every day in a luxurious doona of their own egos. Thankfully we are not all like this; we’re spared by virtue of empathy and first person narrative.

To you I say;

It’s ok for you to be awesome.

Whilst it is an altogether fantastic idea to constantly set difficult goals for ourselves and to constantly work on

bettering ourselves in any and every capacity in our lives, be it physically, socially, professionally, intellectually, grammatically, and every other suffix ending in ‘ally’. The sad reality is that, barring an accidental death the precise moment after you achieve a PB, at some point there has to be a ceiling to your improvement.

The problem becomes worse, when that ceiling inevitably becomes not only unachievable, but a gas station in the rear-view mirror getting further and further away with every moment. It’s all a bit dramatic, and it may have you asking the penultimate question (and shortest piece of poetry every penned) of “Why Try?” but I assure you, there is another perspective (and other Jerry-cans of petrol along this metaphorical road-trip).

And we see it all the time, particularly in athletes who reach their peak performance age, and suddenly are faced with the prospect of many, many more years of life in the sport they love, with no possible chance of bettering a personal best ever again! Suddenly you feel a magnifying glass move over you as you scrutinise past mistakes, events-that-could-have-been, and

your own physical shortcomings.

The thought that you will never break the winners tape, or hold aloft a trophy to rapturous applause, or even place in your age group, or finish without walking is an irreversible reality that can become quite daunting.

So this is where you take stock.

Whether you are only starting out in your sporting journey, or are already a ‘seasoned performer’ in the‘twilight’ of their careers, it is so important to look back on the victories, and achievements, the wins, the places, the goals, and camaraderie and allow yourself a smile. I could be talking about being a world champ, being an awesome parent, friend or sibling, or even that time you nailed the bin with the coke can from ALL the way across the room!

You rocked it. It’s totally ok to admit that. It happens all the time; it’s ok to admit that too.

And as for the future, you don’t have to keep doing incredible things to prove that you’ve been incredible.

Sure, winning 12 consecutive marathon Gold medals at the Olympics would look impressive on a resume, but each individual medal would stand for nothing if it is appreciated once, then forgotten forever. You will inspire by being in the right frame of mind in the first place, you may not even win one of those Gold Medals, but you might set a chain reaction in place that sees someone else inspired to try!

And while I’m on this soap-box;

Love your body.

For all the aches and pains it occasionally (or constantly) gives you, it has also been there for every success in your life. Like it or not, it will be there for the rest too. So take the time to smile and appreciate it, even for a moment. It may not be perfect, but no other body would fit you as well.

And if all of my preaching still isn’t sending alarm bells off in your head; I say, Look around you and find someone who is smiling and enjoying moments past and yet coming. You’ll find they’re much more enjoyable to be around than that person who develops an ulcer struggling to regain past glories by pushing toddlers over in fun-runs and complaining that wind

conditions prevented them from qualifying from representing at the World Darts competition in Alexandra Palace (London).

Lighten up, live longer, and you might find that you didn’t need that make-up, compression skins, or beetroot juice in the first place!

Or don’t…...

Either way,

Run strong and be proud of our community!

Till next time,

Clay Dawson

Intraining Athlete & occasional preacher

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