One Size Fits All-most No One

Here’s the thing. I give a lot of advice. But even my advice might not be right for YOU! Each of us has a unique mind and body. We have unique experiences and perspectives which is why we can’t assume one piece of advice will fit you perfectly.

This was actually something that took me a bit longer to understand because something worked so great for me, I thought it would work so great for other people as well. And I was disappointed to find that, that wasn’t the case in MANY cases! I remember one of my dear friends asking me about my at home workouts. I was so enthused with them and telling her about them she went ahead and bought the program as well. She hated it. She couldn’t get into it. She decided to go to the gym. And my God, she LOVES the gym! She is thriving at the gym. She is strong and amazing and has had so many gains by going to the gym. It worked for her and brought her so much joy.

I have a billion examples like this. Here is one from me personally. Intermittent fasting is supposed to have amazing health benefits. So I started doing it. I didn’t realize it at first, but the fasting was messing with my hormones so I would become extremely tired in the afternoon and not know why. I then tested my cortisol levels and they were tanking mid-morning which is why I was feeling so tired by 3pm. What took me several months to realize was that my fasting was actually causing this!! So, I changed my fasting to a 12 hour ~ish fast instead which is most often recommended for women and bam no more extreme fatigue.

With a whole world of advice and tips on anything under the sun, how do you know what’s right for you or what advice to follow? Well here are my best tips for figuring that out for yourself.

1. Listen to your gut. We are on this epic journey and we won’t always have the right answers. What feels right now, might not feel right later and vice versa. But if you are presented with a piece of advice and it doesn’t feel right to you, then don’t do it. If it doesn’t feel like the right thing or the right time, then say no. For example, while I have heard that Keto has wonderful benefits in short term use, I am simply not interested. This doesn’t mean I will never try it. It just means right now, I’m a no. And that’s okay.

2. Trial and Error. Give it a go! Most of everything I have learned about myself is because I tried it and figured out if it was something that worked for me or not. Obviously I used the example if intermittent fasting above - it’s a great example of this one. I liked the idea of it, I tried it. I realized it didn't work for me so I modified it. No harm, no foul. Trying and failing is succeeding!

3. Journal about it. Sometimes you hear a piece of information or advice and it sends your mind into a tizzy. The best way to work this out is to journal about it. How does it make you feel? Why do you think it makes you feel that way? What does it remind you of? Would you be willing to take that advice? Was the advice giver coming from a place of love? How do you want to handle it? Journaling is such a beautiful way to take what is in your mind and get it all on paper. It allows the mind to dump its thoughts so it can be still and quiet. You never know what will come to you in those moments of stillness, but embrace it and be open and ready to listen to your intuition.

4. Research it. When my friend asked me to run a half marathon with her I immediately went into research mode. What is everything I need to know about running? I went crazy researching until I found out I what I needed to buy and I found a training plan I liked. I did the same thing when she asked me to run a marathon. Research is a great way to calm your mind and just gather all the facts. Once you have all the facts in front of you then you can make an informed decision. This one in combination with journaling is a superpower!

The most important thing to remember is that you are an individual. dictionary.com defines individual as: a single human being, as distinguished from a group. This means you don’t need to do everything that everyone else is doing. You can find your own way and create your own path. And no one gets to tell you what path you should take.

I have two close girlfriends that I run with often. We all enjoy running but we all have very different styles, paces, clothing & shoe preferences etc. They love Brooks running shoes. I bought a pair and they gave me horrible blisters (I promptly returned them). We all have different hydration packs. We all have different pre-race fuel go-to’s. We all use different electrolytes. We all love running but we do it in our own individual way.

You get to choose your path. And if you later decide you don’t like that path anymore, you get to choose a new path. You are unique and beautiful the way you are. You don’t need to conform to what others want you to do. Just be YOU! The people who truly care about you will love you even more when you fully step into who you are and what you love! Also, be forewarned the people who are not on board with you being fully you will likely fall away from your life. But some of the dramatic ones might cause a ruckus. That is okay and normal! It is showing you that you are on the right path. Don't engage in the drama. They don't get a vote.

The world needs you as the unique being that you are. Don't try to change yourself to fit someone else's vision of you no matter who that someone else is. Do YOU. Be YOU! <3