Attack of Mediocrity

When I was living in Iowa, something phenomenal happened to me. The day I moved there (and I moved there primarily for a significant other and college), it was like culture shock. Here I was, an amazingly fit mid 20s exotic female who wasn't ashamed to accent her best assets, in a world of conservative, small town minded folk with very little influence from the fitness world. My long, full dark head of eurasian hair, smooth tanned skin and hard, muscular curves were an anomaly in this white bread and butter culture of sedentary average Americans, but with a distaste for exercise and fitness. To them, getting in shape was considered conceit and completely intolerable and exercise was ONLY associated with getting in shape and trying to look attractive (Heaven forbid you try to look better than everyone else).

TO get to the point quick, I was heavily criticized for taking the time to go to the gym and work out and better my healthy and physique. I was told I was "obssessed with my body" and it was an "unhealthy obssession" and that I needed to focus on taking care of my "boyfriend" rather than spending so much time in the gym trying to look better than everyone else. After a while I caved in and canceled my gym membership at the gym. I spent the next 4 years fighting my urge to get back into the gym and start training. My body got bigger and softer, I felt physically less agile. My knees and hips started to hurt. My migraines got worse. I found my ADD/ADHD less tolerable and I was having a harder time focusing and remembering things. And worst of all, I was slipping into a depression. I felt crappy about myself, my looks and everything around me. And despite going from a sexy fitness model, I morphed into a plain Jane with a gut, chubby cheeks and big thighs. I tipped the scale at 145lbs and I'd say about 30% bodyfat. You could no longer see my 6pack, and my teardrops on my quads were gone. And I ended up in size 10 jeans. Oddly, the locals still thought I was too skinny, but my boyfriend was upset because I didn't lose the muscle. And to top it all off, all those exotic traits he loved about me in the beginning, were not acceptable in that predominantly white culture, I was pressured daily to cut my hair short and bleach it to blonde and wear blue contacts. Basically, I was wanted to morph into a average Iowa girl.

I recall going to a nightclub with my boyfriend when I first moved there. The moment I stepped in the club, I witnessed a table of 3 blondes (all about 6 foot tall and 200 lbs of solid, hay tossing, corn fed muscle & gut), glared at me and sat up at the edge of their seats... I felt like I was the target of a cat fight, so I clung to my boyfriend for dear life. I was probably the hottest girl in this club, and I honestly feared for my life ! ! ! Guys throughout the club were staring at me, and not in awe of my beauty, but I am sure of my exoticness and fit physique. I swear, I think I had more muscle on me than any guy there other than my boyfriend. I was definitely an oddity.

For the next few years, I tried to pick healthy foods; veggies, brown rice, chicken breast and so forth. My blood sugar was crazy and I was always craving sugars within 3 hours of my last meal. My ex blamed me for is getting fat because "we are always eating", but it never occured to him that HE didn't have to eat each time I did. And I'd say half the time people would criticize me about eating like a bird, or like I was on a diet (as if I had any fat to lose, even at 30% bodyfat). I recall one of my friends saying "there goes Jo and her rabbit food again". I was NEVER commended for eating healthy.

What I am getting to with all this is just how peer pressure to be "mediocre" or "average" in our American society can affect people. It's not just what we eat, how much we eat and how sedentary we are that causes our nation to be the fattest in the world. No matter how much education we throw at us, or how much skinniness we are exposed to by the media; it just doesn't counteract the effect of social conformity and the pressure to be "just like everyone else.. not better but not worse either". There is a saying "the reward for conformity is that everybody likes you except yourself". And this is exactly what I was dealing with. After I had caved in and "let myself go", people stopped picking on me and criticizing me. But I was miserable beyond words. I felt trapped with no way out. I felt like I could do nothing, not for me nor anyone else. I missed having a beautiful, fit and healthy body. I missed the "me" time at the gym; meditating during my cardios, pushing myself past my normal limits knowing I was bettering myself. I missed the endorphin highs. I missed fitness !!!

Now that I look back; I am so happy I left that world of extreme mediocrity and its deathgrip of my soul. I am so happy I re-developed my proverbial spine. I am so happy to live in a community that is open to fitness and OK with the whole concept of looking sexy. I am blessed beyond words. I fit in here. I am surrounded with other fit minded people who also understand that fitness is more than just about building a sexy body; it's about living life healthily. It's about making yourself better and not taking your life and health for granted. It's about setting a standard for how everyone should be, but subconsciously won't. It's about spreading the gospel of good health. It's about feeling good about yourself despite all the hate, envy and peer pressure to be average. It's about what God intended us to be.

Mediocrity is like cancer. Don't let the tumor get into your life. Because it'll spread throughout your body, take over your soul and before you know it, you're dying!
Fitness is not about building a body that is better than everyone else, thus establishing you higher in the pecking order than those looking at you that don't look like you. It's about taking care of your self, living life to the fullest. There is so much in life you enjoy more when you are heatlhy and agile. You can walk up a flight of stairs; you don't have to wait on an elevator. You can squeeze into skinny jeans. You can fall asleep at night and have good sleep. You don't have to take medication for blood pressure which causes a whole schlew of other side effects. Your insurance rates are cheaper. You feel better about yourself, and good people appreciate you and love you more. You will have a positive influence on those around you... just watch.

So no matter what you do, don't let the pathetic mindset of mediocre people sway your decision to get in shape. This is YOUR life; not theirs. This is YOUR happiness;not theirs. This is YOUR life; not theirs. You have every right to pursue your happiness; it's guaranteed by the constitution!

And if you ask me; I am ALL FOR YOUR BETTERING YOURSELF... Cheers to your better you!!!!