As an athlete, it is easy to get into the habit of comparing yourself to others, whether it be a teammate or someone you compete it against. Sometimes we find ourselves watching others thinking:
“Why can’t I be like them?”
“Why can they do that and I can’t? That’s not fair.”
“Why did coach say ‘good job’ to them and not me? I must be terrible.”
“Why do I always have bad practices? They never have a problem.”
And the list goes on.
A common misconception is that one person’s success equals your failure. This is NOT a healthy attitude to have for yourself, or for those around you. The vibe that you give off in and out of the gym directly affects the people around you. Your mentality is everything. Your attitude can help you to achieve YOUR goals, or it can KEEP YOU from reaching them. When you see a teammate succeed at something, learn from them! They can teach you things as much as you can teach them things. Sit back and say, “I’m so happy for them for succeeding at that. They’ve been working really hard to get that skill! I’d like to do that someday too! What are they doing that I can improve on?” Use your teammates as a resource to learn and improve yourself. MOTIVATE each other! That is what a team is supposed to do – support each other and help each other out whenever possible.
This is not to say that only athletes are subject to this, but rather everyone does this. It is human nature, and we are all human. But we need to try to fight this urge for the betterment of ourselves and those around us! 🙂
Good Vibes = Good People, Good Times, & Good Lives