After watching the “This Girl Can” commercial for the first time, I immediately wanted to go run a million miles. My mindset changed instantly and the message has stuck with me for weeks. As of now it has had almost 7 million views, so I’d say the message is pretty damn relevant.
But I wish I had never read the comments because they make me hate pretty much everyone. (DON’T DO IT.) The comments that bothered me most were the ones saying “sweating” isn’t an obstacle and it’s not an accomplishment. I respect that others see things differently, but I felt the need to share my opinion.
You should listen to me because obviously I’m very important and do very important things.
Let me start by saying I’m no fan of mediocrity. I’m in the camp that believes it can be good for kids to get cut from sports teams (as long as there are other options available for them in the community). And I think it’s vital to cultivate that sense of self-worth, satisfaction, and pride that comes from hard work. (I learned that from my Dad. HI DAD!) Sure, I typically get my sweat on and then move along with my day without a ton of thought. (Even though I do write an entire blog about fitness…minor details.) It has just become part of my routine. Still, when it comes to the particular topic being addressed in the video, I think the message is deeper than just “sweating”. I think it’s speaking to anyone who has put off trying new things for fear of judgement and/or failing. Anyone who has fallen into a comparison trap.
In high school cross country I once bench pressed my body weight. I SWEAR TO YOU. And I should have been more excited to see how strong I’d gotten. But all I thought about was how slow I was compared to the varsity girls.
She’s way better at XYZ that me. I’m going to look stupid. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m not good at it so why even try.
It’s totally mental.
I know how easy it is to never even start something for fear of failing. But strength comes from doing it anyway. From saying F YOU to all the excuses.
To me, this commercial represents something that’s not necessarily as basic as being proud of oneself for working out. In my eyes, it’s about being proud of yourself for overcoming fears, for taking a risk, for pushing aside the nerves and anxiety and judgement that comes with trying new things. For doing it anyway. Sure, sometimes working out is super basic and easy to understand. For some people it doesn’t require a second thought…it’s just another item to check off the day’s to-do list. And that’s okay. But sometimes, for some people, it means more. Sometimes it’s about chasing after a goal, whether that goal is trying a new fitness class, swimming that first lap, lacing up your shoes and stepping out the door or chasing a PR in a race.
It’s unfair and short-sighted to belittle people who see “sweating” as an obstacle. It’s not always about the “sweating”. It’s about alllllll that other stuff.
It’s about trying something crazy even though you’re not totally sure you’ll be able to do it.
But, let’s focus on that stuff instead of the haters, shall we?
There comes a time when avoidance and the simultaneous regret that comes along with it is harder than working toward the actual goal. At least, that’s how it works for me. And that’s when the magic happens, my friends.
This video got me thinking about that scary feeling that makes you not even want to try things. The feeling that paralyzes you from taking a leap of faith. (I still feel that way about job interviews. TERRIFYING.) It took me a long, long, long time to build confidence, especially when it comes to running…and I STILL feel insecure at times. But this is what I tell myself:
No one starts something knowing everything, and you have to respect that people work tirelessly to get where they are. It reminds me of the phrase “respect the distance” when it comes to endurance events. You can’t expect to run for a few months and suddenly be a master at it. I used to complain how about slow I was on the bike, when in reality I had only been actually training for a couple months. Ummm why did I expect to keep up with people who had been cycling for years? Respect that it takes time and lots of effort. Would running a marathon feel as amazing as it does (well, once you’re done) if it was easy? I’m guessing no.
After training for months, THIS FEELING is so good. And 1,000% worth the struggles.
I think most of us have witnessed the incredible amount of positivity that comes from participating in sports/fitness. So, I’d like to propose that the first step to helping others gain confidence is to begin offering encouragement and support for our friends (or strangers, or virtual friends, or whoever). To share stories and how we’ve overcome obstacles and what happened when we finally decided to TRY. And most of all, to not tear each other down. (Lora from Crazy Running Girl wrote a great post about this.) To leave positive comments.
Annnnd that’s all I’ve got. For now. (Don’t think you’ve gotten rid of me because I’LL STILL BE HERE.)
(IS THIS WHAT ADULTHOOD IS LIKE? How many more enlightening things will I learn when I turn 30?!)
Tell me what you’re thinking. Have you felt this way? Am I overreacting? (Probably.) What’s one thing you’re SO GLAD you tried?
I LOVE the commercial. I’d never seen it before. My first thoughts were it was refreshing to see other “shapes and sizes” being active but then I realized that it’s actually quite sad that it’s not “normal” to see in most media.
I think it’s a good idea for everyone to try something outside of their comfort zone at some point. For me, that was running. And, it was HARD. It still is sometimes. But, like you said, I wouldn’t have known how much I love it (and met such awesome people) if I didn’t TRY.
Thanks for sharing this
As usual, my genius friend #IronKara nails it on the head. It’s so hard not to compare yourself to others and focus on your journey and how far you’ve come. Positivity and encouragement is huge. Keep the inspiration coming, lady! xo
This post was beautiful! Respect the distance. Shut up and try. As someone who used to let fear of failure hold her back, this post seriously hit home for me. It took most of my life to realize that’s it’s better to try and fail then always wonder what if. You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for ALWAYS being such an inspiration!!!!!!