Yesterday at work, a friend made a comment that I was looking, “ripped” lately. It made me immediately smile. I said thank you and showed a little bicep flex. We laughed. Then she started beating herself up, verbally. “I really need to get serious about exercise! I’m tired of being heavy.” And so on….

I interrupted her and said, “Stop! Here is something you need to realize. I have made a conscious choice to come home every night from work, immediately put my workout clothes on, and do my exercise. What this means is I have not prepared an actual meal for my family in months.”  My friend has a son who is still very young. She does not have the luxury that my teenagers afford me. My children will not starve! They cook for themselves without hesitation. Her son still needs her to prepare his meals, do homework, attend to his 6 year old needs! We are not playing on level playing fields. We are in two completely different situations.

Here is my point. Something has got to give. No one can really do it all (all by themselves). Those moms who make 100% of their kids’ meals from scratch using only organic ingredients probably don’t work full time. If they work, they probably don’t exercise. Or sleep. Something in their day is lacking. (Or they have a chef, chauffeur, nanny, etc…)

It is human nature, especially in women, to compare ourselves. We see someone living a life similar to our own and think, “Well, she can do it…why am I failing so miserably???” That needs to stop! It is fine to use comparison to motivate yourself. But as soon as that negative talk starts, it is no longer a motivator. Now it is a detractor and it hurts.

So, dear friends, please don’t compare yourself to me. Yes, I am having a lot of success with my fitness level right now. It is awesome and I feel great. BUT… my house is TRASHED and my children have become scavengers, eating whatever they can find in the cupboards and fridge.

I actually was motivated to write this post after reading an article online today. Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, a comedienne and author, has written a new book titled, “Gummi Bears Should Not Be Organic.” In the article about it, she commented on the same topic of comparing ourselves to others. Specifically she says,

There is also the pressure we feel from other parents which is sometimes real and sometimes self-inflicted. Every time I hear of a mom who makes homemade dinners every night and packs stylized lunches based on Pinterest boards, I feel insecure about my own parenting. But I try to remind myself that given the finite minutes in the day, that parents must be falling short in some other area. Maybe they kill themselves doing all of the crafty stuff but then lose it. I’m not saying that’s true but thinking it makes me feel better.

https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/new-book-debunks-the-pressure-for-parents-to-be-115724092652.html

There is the link to the article. Go read it. It will make you laugh and feel better. We really are in this together, friends. Seriously. I want to see you succeed. I want to motivate you, not tear you down. And if it means you need to see the messy side of my life for you to succeed, then come on over! There is a kitchen table covered with crap and a couple loads of laundry that will be more than enough evidence to make you feel like you are doing just fine!!!