Be Your Own Superhero
Who is your hero?
My journey toward self-love, health, and entrepreneurship these past few years hasn’t been walked alone. Thank goodness I found others who’ve walked similar paths before me. Though I never met them, these women were my voice of encouragement, they were the kick in the ass I needed to pick myself back up when I stumbled.
Here are just a few...
After reading her book “Girl, Wash Your Face,” Rachel Hollis quickly became a guiding light in my personal development journey. Reading her book was my big wake-up call, a transformational catalyst that it was time for me to take ownership of my life.
Once I decided I was ready to focus again on my physical health, I discovered Corinne Crabtree’s Losing 100 Pounds podcast. It was the first time in my life I realized that my struggle with weight was less about food and exercise and SO much more about mindset and my own relationship with myself. Corinne became the sassy southern lady I never knew I needed, speaking wisdom and profanities into my ear on my ranch walks, giving me a loving kick-in-the-butt along the way.
After watching the movie Brittany Runs a Marathon, my best friend and I decided we were going to start training for our very own. Jill Angie’s podcast Not Your Average Runner encouraged us through every stride, literally, and called us out on our excuses and limiting beliefs holding us back. We ran our first half marathon together during a pandemic and are currently training for our full.
When I finally pulled the trigger on starting my own side business, nervously wading into the waters of entrepreneurship, I binge-listened to every single one of Jenna Kutcher’s The Goal Digger podcast episodes. I took notes like a madwoman, immersing myself into the world of powerful female entrepreneurs sharing their best business advice and soaking in every last word.
I found women like the incredible Amy Porterfield who was using her magic to empower and teach others how to share their gifts with the world while scaling their business in the process. Investing in her digital course was life-changing, and now my very own digital course is making a real difference in people’s lives.
I’m so grateful for each and every one of these inspirational women that I continue to learn from daily.
But none of them are my real superheroes.
The older I get, the more I realize that the people I’ve put on a pedestal, the ones I’ve looked up to and aspired to be like, are just normal people like me. Many of them started from humble beginnings, made a lot of mistakes, thought about giving up, and still continue to struggle and have bad days. Regardless of what it may seem like on the outside, I know they don’t have it ALL figured out. Nobody does. They are just a step or two (or 2,000) ahead of me. But, that’s it.
Instead of looking at the kick-ass entrepreneurs who’ve built empires and influenced millions and feeling discouraged about the insignificant impact I’ve made thus far in comparison, I get to look at them and say, “DAMN - that is incredible!” Instead of falling into the comparison trap, I can choose to look at what is possible when we lean into our power, pursue our passions, and persevere through hardships along the way. Now I have a self-empowered perspective and think “If she can do it, so can I.”
Just because someone else is taking up space in a big way doesn’t mean there is any less room for you. Just because there is someone out there doing something you’d like to do, and doing it extremely well, doesn’t mean the world doesn’t need you to do it in your own unique way with your own unique voice.
My real hero isn’t one of these women or any of the incredible people I’ve had in my life as mentors.
My real hero is me - my future self.
In his acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for best actor, Matthew McConaughey said it best, “Every day, every week, every month, and every year in my life, my hero is always ten years away. I’m never going to be my hero. I’m not going to attain that. I know I’m not and that’s just fine with me, because it keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing.”
I’ll never meet my hero because she’s always a moving target, the future version of myself 10 years from now. But looking back at myself just two years ago, five years ago, ten years ago… I think she’d agree that the version she is today is absolutely the hero she never knew she could be.
The version that finally learned to respect herself. The version that gave up the excuses and took ownership of her choices. The version that took that scary first step and each and every one after that. The version that freed herself from diet culture and found self-love and health in the process. The version that turned her greatest hardship into her greatest blessing, using her struggle with weight as a gift to inspire thousands of others in the process. The version that turned her passions and talents into a career she didn’t even know was possible. The version that dared to dream bigger.
And while today’s version of me would be the hero to my past self, I can’t wait to see the hero I’ll become ten years from now.
The most beautiful thing about the people we look up to is that they are an example of what’s possible - not just for people that look a certain way, live in a certain place, or make a certain amount of money - but for anyone. When people look at me, I hope that’s what they see - what’s possible. What will come when we truly start believing in ourselves, when we rebuild our relationship from the inside out, discover our worth, and start chasing our dreams.
But when it comes to heroes, realize that the real superhero lies within you.
The version of yourself that takes chances, takes action, and doesn’t mistake failure as a reason to give up. The version of yourself who listens to your heart, gives yourself grace, and keeps going. The version of yourself that makes the dreams on your heart a reality, that proves yourself and others wrong, and continues showing up against all odds.
You have the power within you to be whatever kind of person you want to be, and it all starts with your choices. Not just the big ones, but the small ones. The habitual ones you do every single day.
It’s not enough to talk about it, start walking the walk. Take the first step and then the next one. Show up for yourself daily. Put in the work, make the strides, and chase the dreams.
Heroes aren’t created overnight, they are created over time. Every day you show up and honor your commitments, you are giving a gift to your future self. You are becoming your very own superhero.
Every transformation starts with a baby step. Ready to be your own superhero? Join the FREE One Bit Don’t Quit challenge and commit to doing ONE THING each day for the month of January. Click the button below to join and download the free workbook.