We Are Enough

I had only been there for about four minutes when the two machines got taken on either side of me.   They turned their machines on and quickly set their “resistance” to 6 and the “cross ramp” to 10 (not that I was peeking).  They were running on their elliptical machines as if they were on fire and trying to put the flames out.  The machines were shaking and they were huffing and puffing, brushing off the sweat from their foreheads, while I kept my slow and steady turtle pace in between them both.  (Note:  “resistance” on 2 and “cross ramp” on 1.)  

Within in a few short minutes, I began to question myself.  “Should I go faster?”  “Should I change my settings?”  The negative comparisons began to creep into my mind.   I quickly shut the thoughts down and turned my focus to the 1980’s tv that was suspended from the ceiling and watched the last 25 minutes of Good Morning America via closed caption. 

Why is it that we, especially women, tend to start that “maybe I’m not ok” negative self talk?  We doubt our strength, our determination, our own personal goals in an instant when presented with someone who is skinnier than us, has the perfect haircut, or always has the perfect manicure.   Why?

Aren’t we good enough?  Don’t we have value where we are on our own path and journey?  Don’t we need to believe in ourselves and what gifts and special talents we have to offer the world? 

We are good enough.  

I am good enough as I am.

We do have value.  

I am valuable in this world.

We do need to believe.   

I believe in myself.

I used to fall into the negative self talk hole of holes so quickly and stay there for hours, but no more.   Over the last six months or so, that negative self talk and desire to compare myself to others has faded quietly into the background.   It shows up every now and then, but I know how to recognize it and quickly turn the channel. 

Everyone has value and deserves to treat themselves accordingly.  I now say to myself, “Hey, I showed up today and exercised and that’s great for me, my mind and my body.”  I don’t have those desires to compare myself to others as often as I once did.  I am comfortable being me and know that I am just as worthy as my elliptical partners running nowhere in a hurry. 

We are enough as we are.  We don’t need to be more to be valuable.  We are valuable as we are, even if our “resistance” is on 2 and our “cross ramp” is on 1.  Even then.  We are enough.