Start where you're at

Allez les filles!

Where am I at?

Well, not at the beginning that’s for sure. The beginning of anything is the same place for everyone. The race begins at the same time and the same place whether you’re an experienced elite or whether you signed up the night before having never run a step. That’s pretty liberating now I think about it. Same beginning, same route, same finish.

However, (and this is all about the language), our starting point, our journey, our goals are all so different aren’t they? Again, that’s pretty liberating isn’t it!

I must admit that when someone says to me ‘start where you’re at’ it can seem a disappointing encouragement. A kind of ‘you give, and you take away’ kind of thing.

Again. Again!

Why is that? I can think of a couple of reasons.  I think it’s partly because it can feel like ‘Oh crap here I am starting again’. Again! I’m a bit of an expert at starting again. Maybe it’s my inbuilt lack of consistency, or my love of extremes – (I vainly like to think I fly higher and fall harder than most). Having put in the best race performance of my life I was immediately couch-bound and have been for 4 weeks now. Yikes, step away from the biscuits.

Red Herring

And secondly, and I trust this isn’t just me, maybe your starting point can seem disappointing because you can see others ahead of you. It’s so easy to look at other people and feel intimidated. Now let me just say this. HELLO! RED HERRING!. Kick this thought into touch RIGHT NOW. And anyway, who are we to judge someone else’s race, most of which is invisible to the naked eye. Trust me, it’s WAAAY more fun to cheer them on to even more success. Allez les filles! (et les hommes).

It starts today

Whether it’s coming back from failure or injury like me, having a baby (definitely not like me), starting a new course to get a qualification, or whether you’re actually at the peak of your career, fitness, weight loss, happiness or whatever, we can only start today wherever we’re at. I think maybe there's freedom in that grace.

So start where you’re at, turn your magic on today. Don’t even worry too much about the journey as it will have thrilling twists and turns that you can’t even see yet. The excitement of the journey takes my breath away!

Go back to basics, raise the standard of your own life and inspire others, and once you’re up and running, look back and give me a wave J