August 2014 - Everyone has a backstory. It is your fiber. Your backstory [your past] is the very thing that defines who you really are -- your actions and your reactions to EVERYTHING in life. Does the world know your backstory? Probably not. Consider when you judge people you probably do not know their backstory. You are judging and responding to the ‘image’ of what you see TODAY and often times it is just that an image. For example: You don’t know the beautiful, seemingly fit blonde at the checkout counter has been suffering from bulimia and is far from the picture of health. An overweight lady running on the beach has already lost 100lbs and is busting her butt to lose another 50lbs. The seemingly perfect brunette that looks like she has the life you want maybe getting physically abused at home. The lady that’s carrying the largest LV bag you’ve ever seen financed it and borrowed her lunch money today. The cocky man at work is really insecure because he was bullied in high school. The *sshole that just cut you off in traffic is distracted because he just got bad news. The guy that speaks to complete strangers in the hall at work is a happy soul and sincerely wants to spread love. There are many, many more examples, but my point is that much of what we perceive or think about people may not be their truth. Be kind to people and consider their backstory.
As a personal trainer, I tell people, “I am a version of you.” Some think this is a joke because of how I look TODAY and they can only think this because they do not know my backstory. What do I do? I SHARE that my backstory is marred with years of imperfection and struggle from cancer, being overweight, loss of both parents, but also the blessing of having great parents whom raised me well with good values and the having the ability and wisdom TODAY to learn from my struggles. There is a possibility to change your future if you are willing. I cannot change my backstory nor do I want to because it is what makes me ME. Neither can you. Neither can the stranger you may have misjudged. We all work hard to improve and to change our futures, but meanwhile please greet people with kindness and an open mind to their backstory for you do not know what struggles they have endured.
As a personal trainer, I tell people, “I am a version of you.” Some think this is a joke because of how I look TODAY and they can only think this because they do not know my backstory. What do I do? I SHARE that my backstory is marred with years of imperfection and struggle from cancer, being overweight, loss of both parents, but also the blessing of having great parents whom raised me well with good values and the having the ability and wisdom TODAY to learn from my struggles. There is a possibility to change your future if you are willing. I cannot change my backstory nor do I want to because it is what makes me ME. Neither can you. Neither can the stranger you may have misjudged. We all work hard to improve and to change our futures, but meanwhile please greet people with kindness and an open mind to their backstory for you do not know what struggles they have endured.
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