Who Gets the Cheese in Your Story?

It's been a while since my last post.  I didn't want to force one, though I've tried quite a few times. There have been quite a few blogs that started with a paragraph and just as quickly as they came out, they were deleted.  

This past week or so has been challenging to an extent.  My happiness level was low and I set out to fix that.  Selfish Jess means no blog, poor communication at best, and a lack of interest in the goings on around me. 

So, I like challenges. In fact, they make me tick. Many have said I take them too serious, I'm too competitive, I get too angry, blah blah blah.

Here's what I say to those doubters, those nay-sayers, those who don't support my enthusiasm for challenge: I challenge myself to be the best me I can be. Challenge is healthy. It implies an unwillingness to settle for anything less than superb. 

“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” 

― Willie Nelson

Recently I've come to find that I'm competitive in more ways than just athletics.  There is a strong desire within me, and many others, to excel and succeed in all that we do, work, play, everything in between.  Yet many of us don't create the right pathways to reach our competitive goals.  We set goals for ourselves, we push ourselves to our limits, we race through ToughMudder (electrocution and all), sign up for a 75 mile bike ride... all for what? What is the goal in these activities? What are we reaching for?

Excellence. In each and every person's own mind, we have an idea of excellence. Of what that means to us, of how we use it to our advantage or disadvantage.  

I will fight my way to the top at my agency.

I will fight my way to that 75th mile. 

I will fight my way to happiness.

I will fight my way to the healthiest heart I can possibly have.

I will fight my way into that blasted bathing suit.

I will fight my way into a semi-completed home.

I will fight my way through any book, no matter if it's a snoozer. 

I will fight my way into relationships and I will fight to keep them strong. 

So, where are you competitive within your own life? There is a healthy balance between challenging yourself and setting yourself up for failure. We all do a little bit of both.  Many times I fail at what I challenge myself to do.  Unfortunately for those close to me, they get to hear the brunt of it.  Challenging ourselves should involve more thought, more planning.  How do we get to our goal? What do we need between now and then to ensure it is a success? I've challenged myself to become a healthier and more importantly a happier person.  So far, despite a bit of a setback, I've been on my way to being much happier and with that comes being healthier too. 

There's a lot of fight left in me... but it's dedicated to only what is worth my struggle.