Who doesn't love awesome? Looking awesome... Feeling awesome... Achieving something and knowing that what you just accomplished is awesome...
Everyone has experienced awesome at some point in their life. However, getting to awesome can be a difficult thing. It is a rare thing. When was the last time that you got to awesome? When was the last time that you worked that hard, sacrificed that much, gave 100%, so that you truly felt awesome? It's a universally achievable feat, but the feeling will not create itself. Awesome has to be forged. Awesome has to be earned.
Awesome is relative. Awesome is felt or experienced at an individual level. One of the greatest enemies of getting to awesome is to compare yourself to others. This is not to say that you should never look to others for inspiration, wisdom and motivation - you should. However, if you simply look to those who are further along their path and fall into feelings of envy or despair, then you are robbing yourself of your opportunity to feel awesome.
Let's use an example. What do you think when you see Ronnie Coleman (a bodybuilder) squat 800lbs?
Isn't that awesome? If you look at that and are motivated or awed, you're on the right track. If you look at that and judge yourself, compare yourself and criticize how weak you are in comparison, then you are setting yourself back.
But how do we know that this moment is awesome? There are people that are stronger than Ronnie Coleman. There are powerlifters that have squatted more than that. Do you think Ronnie Coleman is spending a lot of time doubting himself, comparing himself to others? No. He is focused on becoming awesome.
Similarly, picture someone who is new to exercise. Imagine that they don't have a lot of upper body strength. Envision them working to improve, slowly building up the number of reps of pushups done from their knees, for example. Now picture that person doing a real pushup, with good form, for the first time. That is awesome too.
Let's think about what the scenes have in common. First, there is real, genuine effort going into the activity. To achieve awesome, you have to give 100% of your best effort, regardless of how that measures up against anyone else.
To get to awesome, you also have to be living in that moment. You can't be mentally comparing yourself to someone else, chastizing yourself or your performance, or be distracted and thinking of whatever else. You have to be present. You have to be focused. You have to give it your all.
Then, when you have given it 100% and you have accomplished what you set out to achieve, you need to take pride in that moment. You earned it.
What Else Helps?
Overcoming adversity is a critical ingredient in getting to awesome. We don't often appreciate what is free or what comes easily to us. The sweetness of accomplishment is enhanced by having to work for it.
This goes hand-in-hand with the idea that we should not compare ourselves to others. We need to set our own goals and individually work to get to awesome - whatever and wherever that is for each of us. It is easy to slip into a negativity bias, where you compare yourself, at your worst moments, to others at their best. Technology has made this even easier, as social media forums like Facebook allows us to see the selected highlights of others' lives. But people don't write about the mundane. They don't post pictures of when they struggled and failed. When we constantly see highlights and visions of others' success, it is easy to rush to self judgement and find ourselves lacking. Don't let this happen to you.
Most heros face some kind of adversity. This is such a critical element in the stories that we tell about each other, in movies and books - it seems like an intrinsic part of the human fabric. We love to see someone struggle, persevere and overcome adversity. We love to see people get to awesome, through hard work and never giving up.
If you exercise, at some point you will experience injury. Even if you're careful and have good form, you will have setbacks. You will get sick. At times you will struggle for motivation. Your diet will not always be perfect. The reality is that everyone struggles. To get to awesome, you need to recognize that, accept it, but don't let it limit you. A temporary setback is not a permanent failure unless you let it be. Get back on track to getting to awesome.
Who Can Get to Awesome?
Think about the Olympics. Isn't it awesome? Thousands of athletes, from across the world, all competing for their countries. They have trained years to get where they are. Some have devoted their entire lives to arrive at this point. They are the best in their sport.
They compete - all of them. Then, three medals are awarded. Obviously, gold is awesome. It is a recognition that at that moment in time, that athlete was the best - performed the best. But what about silver? What about bronze? What about all of the other incredible athletes at the Games?
I think there are more moments of awesome than simply of the few standing on the podium. I think there are moments of awesome along that entire journey. Ask those athletes how they feel at the opening ceremony. Look at the athletes who give it their all - 100% effort, even if they didn't medal. They are competing for their country in front of the entire world. Is that not awesome?
Think of the Paralympic Games. Is that not also awesome? Think about overcoming the adversity that some of these athletes have. Think about the relentless dedication and pursuit of a goal. Do you think these athletes are spending a lot of time comparing themselves to others, feeling sorry for themselves or otherwise holding themselves back from getting to awesome? No.
Anyone can get to awesome. Everyone can get to awesome. You can get to awesome. All you need to do is have a goal - something that you want to achieve. Then you have to fight for it. You have to struggle - and accept reality that not everything in life comes easy. You have to learn that earning something makes it better. You have to believe in yourself. You have to give 100% of yourself. And in that moment there, you will have gotten to awesome.
Take pride in that moment. Savour it. Then realize, next, that this can be a stepping stone to your next moment of awesome.
- Tannys & Alex
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