Reminder about these reminder posts: I have touched on these topics before but they are worth reminding ourselves about. In my posts, have often shared ideas from my work as a writer or a coach but today’s post is borrowed from my work as a storyteller. 💚
Hey Team,
Please don’t forget that this goal, this habit, this practice is part of YOUR story, not someone else’s.
That means that you get to decide what the story is about, what elements belong in it, what details are important, and what the story means.
Because of the social soup of ideas we grow up and live in, we end up with stories in our heads about what we are supposed to want, what we are supposed to enjoy, what we are ‘allowed’ to do, and what we are supposed to look like.
We also get an extra large dose of stories about what fitness is and who gets to call themselves fit or strong.
We also get a bunch of stories about resting, about mental health, and all kinds of other stuff about our overall wellness… but you get my point.
The thing is, though, all of those stories are from someone else’s point of view. They reflect their biases, their experiences, and their knowledge, not any sort of ultimate truth.
And even though we have often internalized those stories as if they are true, we can actually reshape the stories from our own point of view so they serve us better.
I’m not saying it’s always easy to do but realizing that at least some of the ‘facts’ we have absorbed about fitness are actually stories from someone else’s perspective – stories we can reshape for ourselves – is a good first step.
There is no divine story of ultimate fitness and wellness that was passed down from an all-knowing deity.
There are facts about how bodies and brains work and then there are stories built from those facts.
Every story you know about fitness is from someone’s point of view and has been filtered through their knowledge and shaped by their experiences.
Those stories may or may not apply to you, you can choose what to accept as part of your story.
You can gather facts relevant for your body and brain and make your own story, one that serves you.
If the yoga instructor criticizes your body instead of helping you adapt the pose, they are telling a flawed story and revealing their biases.
If someone at work tells you that someone of your age/shape/size can’t take up hiking, their story is a lie not a fact.
If you just want to move in fun and interesting ways every day and someone tells you that your activities ‘don’t count’, they are full of crap and their story sucks.
Yes, it is frustrating and hurtful to hear and experience these things but that doesn’t make them true.
Go ahead and find ways to comfort yourself and to soothe your hurt feelings but, please, please, please, do NOT accept those stories.
Please recognize them as someone else’s story and a biased, poorly crafted story at that.
Really, they have a lot of nerve trying to pass off their crappy stories as truth! You deserve better than their petty nonsense.
Please give yourself the space and time to create your own story about your fitness, your strength, your mental health, your rest, about what’s important, about who you are in the world.
You are building your own habit, finding your own way, and doing what works best for your body, your brain, and your life. You’ll get where you are going at your own speed.
And while you might borrow useful elements from someone else’s experience, it really only makes sense to craft your own story to support your own journey.
So, Team, please don’t buy into stories that make you feel bad about yourself.
Instead, shape a story that works for you.
And here’s a gold star for your efforts today whether you are storytelling or just focusing on that next small step.
PS – Another useful idea from storytelling: The most interesting, engaging, and memorable stories involve the protagonist facing obstacles and challenges, failing then succeeding and maybe failing again. Basically, they just forge ahead the best they can while using what they have learned. Instant success with no obstacles to overcome is not only incredibly rare, it makes for a very boring story. “They tried the thing. It worked.” is a very dull tale.
