I often get frustrated when I compare my “success” to the success of others.  To begin with, we should never do that.  However, as humans that’s kind of hard not to do. I see so many sharing absolutely pointless things online and having thousands of followers when I’m over here actually trying to change lives with science and fact, and I’m gaining my following though not as quickly as I’d like. It seems that the internet, the thing with literally all of the information that ever was and will be on it tends to thrive somewhere in the world of pointless.  Everyone wants a solution until you tell them exactly what it will take, then they change their mind and just want a quick answer.  I was talking about this with my therapist recently and I wanted to share what I said, what he said, and what I’ve taken from this lesson with him.

    I’m over here, trying desperately to build a following sharing science, fact, research, information, and help.  Everyone says they want a body or wish they had a body like mine until I tell them how to achieve it, and in our IKEA culture of faster, now, and cheaper (damn the consequence) they often immediately turn their nose up and search for something easier.  Not how any of this works, but ok.  So I get frustrated.  Why don’t people actually want to listen to science?  Why don’t they want to do better for their self?  I’ll never understand.  However, in competition with my silly science, schooling, and knowledge is often someone selling snake oil, flaunting assets, or literally just even opening a box with millions of subscribers and a career in the illustrious and glamourous box-opening industry.  I try to share fact, and people return with “I appreciate your opinion.”  Sorry, research is not opinion, but that’s another story for another day for another group of people who wouldn’t understand the difference. What I’m saying, in short, is those of us who are really trying to make something meaningful and lasting- be it a career, a personal change, whatever- get bogged down in comparisons to people who seem to make it before us, with much less effort.

     Enter my therapist-bless him. “You are building a foundation. You are building the long game.”  We need not compare our successes to that of others, but if we find ourselves doing so think of the longevity of the situation.  Quality will always be a long game. With me that comes from hard work on content, science, schooling, certifications, and sharing actual research driven knowledge that won’t just disappear with the next dance or fad.  With you that might be changing your nutrition slowly instead of following the same fad diet that your friend did- they might have lost a lot of weight quickly, but did they keep it off?  Are they losing the right type of weight?  You don’t know, and likely they don’t either.  Your long game might be slowly saving and planning for your dreams to come true.  People might be taking vacations left and right, but only to escape the hell in which they live daily and you’ll be planning for your whole existence to be paradise.  Keep the faith that you are doing the right thing, slow and steady and winning the race with longevity rather than a bright burning flash through time.  You have got this, and so do I.  Let’s keep doing the right thing together.

      Take your time. Build your foundation. Know the ins and outs. Get to know yourself and your goals. Slow and steady win every race.  While you’ll watch many rises and falls around you, you’ll be on the rise to the top steadily and have time to garner fuel for your fire. You will burn brighter and longer for it.  Try not to compare your success to others, but if you do know that it’s human (even I do it) and make sure that you’re not taking the fast track because the faster track is rarely the right track. Be well.