Become Your Superior Self

6:30 a.m. Sunday.

12 degrees Celcius, the sun's just rising, it has not yet had a chance to burn off the fog still hanging in the distance.

The racoons and the fox are calling it a day, warily watching you from a safe distance in the brush. Birds were up for a while now, busily chirping and flitting about.

You're on a run.

The neighbours are all sleeping, except for the unfortunate few who are driving to god knows where, why aren't you sleeping in like the rest of the world? Let my fellow runners, cyclists and I have our morning serenity.

Despite the occasional car, you feel great! You're killing it! running like a champ.

Imagine now you're on the last leg of a gruelling race, you're about to win, just meters from the finish line, when just then, you look over your shoulder.

You see a pathetic vision drenched in sweat, an expression of hellish pain splashed across a shockingly red face, lungs heaving, gulping up the air and struggling desperately for each and every breath as if it would be his last.

Dejected, walking, slowing, now stopped, hunched over, about ready to vomit, about ready to die. He's given up.... Who is that fat red lump of....? It's you!.... It's your former self!

You remember that person.

You may not see from his current condition, but that was one brave dude! Fat, baggy t-shirted sweaty huffing and puffing, trying desperately to camouflage his man-boobs.

He showed up.

He woke up that morning determined to make a change in his life.

He laced up his shiny new running shoes and went for it. He made a decision to make a change.

That morning was tough.... even tougher was the next morning..... and the next, until you have what you see in the mirror today.... you're a million times stronger now, physically and mentally.

As you look back at this huffing and puffing mess, you admire his will, his spirit. You don't want it to die!

Now imagine yourself going back and motivating your former self with harsh words of encouragement.

"Run! Fat Bastard! Run" (tough love)

"Come on! grandpa just called, he's wondering how grandma got here and wants to know why she's not wearing a bra..."

You feel good, you're rocking your run, you're motivated by your progress, you continue on a steady pace. As you and continue, you begin to tire.

The seemingly endless power you felt towards the beginning of your mini journey begins to wane. Soon you approach the final kilometres of your run and you're not feeling as brash as a little while ago.

Time to conjure up some imaginary encouragement.

This time, you are in trouble.... The same trouble you experienced many moons ago when you began your new lifestyle. The same mechanisms in your brain are telling you to stop!

Imagine now, someone ahead of you, stronger, faster, looking back at you, yelling out encouragement... It's the future you, barking out encouragement at you, you strive not only to finish this run, you strive to arrive at the next run as a better you. You try to be that superior version of yourself.

Know where you are by remembering where you were, then decide where you want to go.

Then go!