OK, not Michael Jordan (who for the record was the best basketball player ever) not really.
I want to be cool like my friends, Kim and Christina. Let me provide some background.
I was swimming with one of my friends this morning and he complemented me on how relaxed and fast I am swimming. I laughed and said, "Thanks, but I'm not fast. Kim and Christina are fast. They amaze me. One day I'm going to beat them in the pool and in a race. Sure it won't be anytime soon, but someday I will." Cocky huh? Well I don't mean it that way. I got to thinking. It sounds like all I care about is being faster than so and so. No that's not it. To me it is like this:
I admire and am inspired at how hard Kim and Christina work at becoming faster or better a whatever it might be. I equate their speed and success as some of the top people running and swimming. So to me it means that if I can hang with them or beat them, then I have achieved real fitness. Silly I know. To me it kind puts a stamp that I'm competent and a serious athlete. That and I always believe in setting goals that are ones you must work to obtain. I think I can obtain that level of fitness and am having a blast working towards that goal.
So when I say "I'm gonna beat them someday." It means I have to work really freaking hard to catch and pass them. Which is a big motivator for me. Because I hold them in high praises and if I'm at their level then I know I have worked hard. And to me working hard and obtaining a goal is one of the best things in the world.
So what athlete do you hold in high regard?
Perhaps your friend that gave you the compliment has the goal to beat you at some point too. It is that little competitive streak within all of us that makes us push ourselves that much further...or maybe it just won't allow us to accept a compliment, who knows.
ReplyDeleteI find the athletes that motivate me the most are the extraordinary women in my day to day life that manage to fit in workouts and meet their goals while managing careers and families.