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. So let me share a recent chapter of my journey towards fulfilment and how being true to myself helped me in practice.
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 knee-jerk wish to deliver on assumed expectations
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…”
Don’t stick to the norm – even if it’s scary
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. But it paid off in the end.
Why you should run in your own lane
Comparing yourself to others is natural. 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.
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