Welcome To The Meet Mediocrity Blog!
BLOG POST #1
Personal wellness…. It has been a lifelong pursuit for me and for many of us. Encouraging each other to celebrate the highs and push through the lows is what we need – especially when we’re feeling unmotivated or less successful than we’d like to be. I know that’s what I need. When I feel mediocre, I get discouraged. When I get discouraged, I retreat. It’s easy to get that way. And I know I’m not alone! So, it is my wish that this community helps me, and that we can all help each other. Because with some community encouragement, we’re all more likely to stay focused on our wellness and live healthier, more fulfilling lives – at least that’s my plan!
Let me start with the name “Meet Mediocrity”. I am sure some of you are saying, “Huh? Why mediocrity when it comes to wellness? Those two words don’t go together!” Well, actually, for most of us, I think they do – and I think that meeting mediocrity is an important part of achieving wellness and creating the very best versions of ourselves.
Notice, I didn’t name it Settle for Mediocrity or Strive for Mediocrity. But Meeting Mediocrity is important – for a few reasons. First, mediocrity is often the first step towards achieving greatness. You need to meet mediocrity as a stepping stone to better things. The second dimension of mediocrity is that fact that when it comes to our wellness and our wellness activities, mediocre might be the best we can do – and that’s ok! Most of us will never be “among the greatest of greats” in the wellness activities we choose to pursue. Some of us will, but most won’t. But if we love what we’re doing and we’re mediocre at what we’re doing, it’s ok – as long as we keep on pushing ahead and KEEP TRYING. In this context Meet Mediocre can mean – “HI. I’m mediocre. But it is the best I can do and I’m going to keep on doing it!”
In fact, even people who are incredible at some things, are mediocre at others. I would venture to say that even well established marathon runners wish they read more books or wish they had more time to try yoga. And, when they try those other activities, I’m sure they are not much better than mediocre at performing them – but they will be more well rounded and have better
overall wellness just by trying!
Now…. a little bit about my wellness journey and what led me to all of this. For me, I am only recently realizing that I need to embrace mediocrity when it comes to things that are for my own good, my wellness. To me, wellness activities are for my own good tomorrow (later in life) and today (right now). So, for tomorrow, for my later life, today’s wellness activities are things I do so I can age gracefully and hopefully a bit more slowly! If I’m fortunate enough to live into my 80s, 90s and beyond I’m hoping I will reduce my risk of immobility, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s. I know I am hoping that if I get my wellness right now, I’ll one day be a yoga practicing, crossword puzzle finishing, vegetable loving senior citizen.
And, for me, it’s not just the senior citizen thing, it’s also a today thing. I want to look good in bathing suits and in Lycra cycling outfits. I want to be interesting at dinner parties. I want to be the person that people enjoy having a conversation with. I want handle stress by staying calm under pressure. So, with all of these things in mind, I focus on my wellness activities – and when it comes to those wellness activities I typically achieve… MEDIOCRITY! Sometimes I’m better than mediocre, but even then I suppose it depends whom I’m measuring myself against. But honestly, no matter whom I measure myself against, I can safely say I am not “one of the greats” in anything.
So, for me, I better get comfortable meeting mediocrity, otherwise, I might as well just quit all of these wellness activities that I’m a pretty average performer at.
