Why do we compare ourselves?
We do it to self enhance ourselves, all the while we are tearing ourselves down because we are basing our worth from the lenses of our peers. Instead we should see it through the supernatural eyes of the universe architect, and realize how beautiful of a masterpiece we were created to be.
"Comparison breeds doubt, which can delay your purpose. You are incomparable. While running this race called life, we often look left, look right and, at times, find ourselves in someone else’s lane. Sometimes by accident and sometimes on purpose in an effort to fill another’s shoes."
If we just recognized the customized lane that was created for us and embraced the journey, we would be so much more fulfilled and prosperous.
That’s the theory I truly believe in. However, living this in practice can be tough. We have to work hard to follow this principle and to find our very own lane. In my last blog post, "How I became the Face of ReebokONE." I had to fight with my own insecurities. So this blog post comes from the heart. I had a lot to embrace behind the scenes of the Reebok journey.
Embracing the chance to combine all my passions
Since childhood, I’ve always been passionate about sports, fitness, sneakers, fashion and competition – all of which I love equally. This is why I first decided to enter the ‘Face of ReebokONE’ competition. It was a chance for me to combine all my passions. 558 fitness professionals entered the competition, sharing their journeys, how they challenge themselves and motivate others to be the best they can be. As I said – I am competitive by nature, so when I received an email from ReebokONE saying, “Congratulations! You are one of the 12 semi-finalists for the Face of ReebokOne,” I was elated. I vividly remember saying under my breath, “It’s on!”
Resisting the fact that you have nothing to prove to "man" is not a small feat!
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 NIV
Soon after, ReebokONE gave me my first task of the competition: to create a video about myself. I may not have had a huge professional production team to shoot me, but no worries. I had an iPhone 6, a selfie stick, passion, drive, and a best friend who loves creativity as much as me. Now came the hard part: defining what to highlight about myself. Right away my mind went to what I believed Reebok would want to hear. I thought to myself: “Should I solely focus on CrossFit? I’m sure many other contestants are going to do that, plus the ReebokONE community is very passionate about CrossFit…”
resist going with the flow– even if it scares you
But then I thought about one of my favorite personal hashtags – #DOOyou – and a quote reminding me to
“Be you. Everyone else is taken.” I knew that if I stayed true to myself the rest would fall into place.
It was a fortunate coincidence that, just a few days after learning I was a finalist, I was traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for my brother’s wedding to spend time with family and my closest friends. This would help me to produce the video that would truly represent who I AM.
In addition to football, boxing and conditioning footage, I decided to also highlight the non-fitness areas of my life that I prioritize – most notably, moments with my family. I didn’t stick to the norm, which can be scary. I swam upstream against the current. But it paid off in the end.
Why you should run in your own lane
Comparing yourself to others is natural. However doubt opens the door to confusion. Throughout the Face of ReebokONE campaign, I found myself studying and scouting my competition in the moments when I felt “less than” – an immediate reaction to feeling like I didn’t measure up. But comparing yourself to others leaves you temporarily stagnant, all while they keep progressing. When I remembered that I was in this position for a reason and it wasn’t an accident, I embraced the experience and started sprinting harder in my own lane without swerving into anyone else’s lane. Whether it be in competitions or in life, remember to #dooYOU rather than compare yourself to others because comparison breeds doubt, which will delay your purpose.
Whenever you are in need of grounding or remembering that you are INCOMPARABLE, I would like to leave this with you to read and reference. Or even share this with someone who may need this.
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
Galatians 6:4-5 MSG
Had the opportunity to write part of this for Gameplan by Adidas.
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