I was looking for a shoe we had lost earlier that morning on a walk so I rode up and down several streets looking for it at the side of the road. It never appeared so I took a different route and as the sun set, I came upon a father, mother, daughter team out for a walk. They had workout clothes on and as I passed by Dad was giving Mother and Daughter a pep talk of sorts as he told them that they needed to "just do it.""You can't be worried about others watching you all of the time, because they aren't. They just aren't. No one is watching. No one cares. They are busily doing their own thing," he said.
I rode by them again moment later not realizing it and they were jogging this time. So the Fathers talk must have worked either to motivate them to run or they just wanted to get away from him. Either way they were running.
Farther on my ride I came across a park designed like a giant bowl. Steep sides gave way to an open field and I noticed a couple with a stroller and a dog at the bottom of the steep slope. They were taking turns running up and down the hill for exercise while the one at the bottom watched the baby and dog, and encouraged the other to keep going.
While I sat, stopped for a breather, bikers, runners, skateboarders, and walkers of all ages, genders, and fitness levels passed by on the trails. None, if any, of them had "perfect bodies" achieved from perfect diets and perfect workouts. But they were out, exercising, making the time to add fitness to their day. I don't know what their fitness goals are but just being out and about with them motivated me to keep going with mine.
Too often we hold ourselves back, not willing to try something new or continue on the path we are on because others might be watching and judging. We feel silly working out while not having the body we see on Nike ads, or we just plain old don't feel like it. Stop placing limits on yourself. Start small. But, start. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, because you are your biggest fan and ultimately have to keep yourself going. Get out there with the rest of us and our imperfect selves, look around and be motivated by everyone who is putting in the effort and trying their very best when they feel like it and when they don't. Don't worry about who is watching. They may take a glance at you but they don't care. Encourage those you can, be a motivator when opportunity presents itself, and most of all be present. You are motivating others and are part of the great outdoor team whether you realize it or not.
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