Strip Poker

As I drove into the city today, I couldn't help but notice the increasing number of naked branches on the trees that stretched out on the horizon. And decided that as those trees get stripped of their leaves, so would I strip myself of my increasingly self-deprecating manner.

Sadly, there are plenty of negative people out in the world ready to say something unflattering about you - don't make life more difficult by saying such things about yourself. It is our responsibility to be our own biggest fans, since we are inevitably our own worst critics. Be sure that your self-critique is constructive, not destructive. Balance out the assholes in the world with some well deserved self-love (get your mind out of the gutter!) and make your world a better place.

We are who and what we are, and I (for one) am attempting to learn to value that. I challenge you to do the same - by the time the trees are completely bare and stripped of their leaves, so should we be stripped of our tendencies to wallow in our perceived inadequacies and the habit of lending a voice to them. It may be hard, but we owe it to ourselves to recognize our greatness.

Now to put my money where my mouth is :)




edited to add:
In my internet meanderings today, I came across a post by Robb Wolf in which he expresses a similar sentiment (though far more eloquently). He recommends countering those self-deprecating tendencies by keeping a Gratitude Journal. Check it out here....

4 comments:

  1. Awesome post!

    You are right that so many times it is easy to be our worst critics.

    Tammy

    P.S. congrats on a great NYC marathon...sounds like you had fun and you appreciated the thousands of folks cheering for you:-)

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  2. Thanks, Tammy! I've found lately that the more motivated (on a whole) we get (as athletes), the easier it is to fall into that negative space. It's like we're in a rush to point out what we do wrong before someone else gets the opportunity to! So self-defeating.

    BTW, I am VERY jealous of the remainder of your 2008 season!

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  3. huh huh...you said self love...huh huh

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  4. Great Post Staci! And Right on as usual!

    I'm my own worst critic, in running and in life.

    Thanks for the reminder!

    Hugs!

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