Friday, March 9, 2012

The Comparison Game

**Home workout challenge: I didn't get in a solid workout today. The only thing I did was go for a short walk. Don't be me today!! Challenge yourself. A 30 minute walk perhaps? 10 minute run? Let me know what you do!!
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I posted this on my Facebook page in response to one of my daily devotionals, but I wanted to share it on my blog as well...


It's so easy to get caught in the comparison game. I feel like that's the case times 1000 when it comes to living with a chronic illness. In the CF community, we are constantly asked "what's your lung function?". So ask only because they're curious (I would fall into that camp) and some ask in order to make a comparison to that person. When this happens, I'm always reminded of the phrase "Do you".

What does that mean? In this case, it means to only worry about how you compare to yourself. How are you feeling as opposed to last week? Can you be a better you today than you were yesterday? It's easy to be caught up in being better than "Joe", but what we should really be focused on is just being a better than you were the day before. Can you imagine what would happen if our only health goal each and everyday was to be better than the day before? To exercise a little longer. To do one more treatment. To do 3 more huff coughs? We get so caught up in these "big numbers" that we lose sight of all the little things it takes to get there.

God doesn't call us to be better than anyone. He does however expect us to help other be the best version of themselves. That all starts with an introduction to Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, it is impossible to be your best. His Hand has been all over my recent and deliberate quest to be the healthiest version of myself and without His Strength, I'm not sure that I could make it throughout the day.

Kind of got sidetracked there, but anywho, point is - don't worry about what others are doing. Their health has nothing to do with your health. Their CF story has nothing to do with your CF story. Their beginning wasn't your beginning and their ending won't be your ending. You have you're own story to write.

If you wake up in the morning and commit to being the best possible version of yourself that day, every day, you just may like the book you end up writing. Others can read it and when they're done, give them a pen and tell them to start writing!!