What to do instead of......

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

You fill in the blank, and if you don't like what you are doing, why not try doing the opposite?

Why do some human beings focus more time and worry on the bad than the good? Some of the words that appear on mfp are: self-loathing, sabataging, binging, and failing. Often, I read these words and I wonder if the writer ever spends as much energy thinking about and celebrating their strengths. There is a pretty consistent pattern of amazing on mfp. Most of my friends display many of the following traits:

- They workout consistently and diligently, and when they need to take time off for illness or injury, they do. Then they jump right back in where they left off when they are feeling better.
- They have a drive, almost like an addiction, to keep upping their game whether it be building strength, endurance, consistency or whatever they have decided to work on.
- They have individual, person specific, and pretty realistic goals that they have given careful thought to creating.
- They are generous and kind. I see so much time spent on giving advice and sharing knowledge with others without expecting anything in return.
- They don't give up helping others even after they may be criticized for their approach.
- They are humble, they ask questions, and they don't pretend to be perfect.
- They forgive themselves when a day doesn't work out as planned and they understand that tomorrow is another day.
- They talk about the benefits of fresh air, describe the beauty of their surroundings on their run, or simply the weather where they are.
-They describe the people and surroundings in the gym, sharing funny anecdotes and appreciation for the good feeling of a challenging workout.
- They are tenacious. They keep working on a goal, with the patience it takes to keep on keeping on even after years have gone by.


What are your strengths? You could be a good cook, or teacher. Maybe you are a good listener and always available to lend an ear to friends or family. You might have great knowledge to share, you might be good at making people laugh, or generous sharing your resources with others. Practice thinking about this instead: Maybe someone saw you jog around the block or lift a barbell, or help a stranger, and maybe it planted a seed in their mind. Maybe you made a big difference today and you don't even know it! Know that there are thousands of reasons to love yourself.

We need to spend more energy (or at least as much) focusing on our strengths, rather than beating ourselves up for our faults.