Monday Morning Musings...I like her butt. Woah, wait, what? Are you thinking, “someone sent me a link to this page promising Monday inspiration, real life tales from a family with 1000 kids, who is grounded in faith, saved by grace, and, some occasional sassy southern humor”, and she’s talking about butts???
Yep!!! Welcome. Hope you’ll stick around. Please hang on just a few more sentences. I’m getting to all those things. You gotta let my coffee kick in first.
I’ve posted a bit about my recent recommitment to some sort of daily physical movement. And, I do mean “re”commitment, because over the last 30 years (gasp, has it been that long since my twenties???, I digress), I have had seasons when I feel like Rocky Balboa - fighting my way through ridiculous gym workouts, or, seasons when I am peacefully swan diving through my yoga teaching classes, or, more than I like to admit, I have been holding the couch down like it was MY job.
Five pregnancies, special needs kids, anxiety and depression, familial strive, caring for aging parents - it’s no joke, y’all (see, there’s the southern thing). I think for a long period of time, there was an outline of my body imprinted on the couch.
I promise this isn’t one of those rah rah motivational posts about being at the gym. Far from it. This post is about appreciation, lifting up others, empathy and grace.
So, I was at the gym the other day and I look over and see this woman crushing it. And, I mean - CRUSHING it. She was on the squat machine like it was her business.
What first ran through my head wasn’t pretty, or kind, or supportive. It was petty, jealous and anything but what I preach to my kids every dang day. Thank goodness we can reset our own thoughts and come back for round two as a better version of ourselves.
My reset thoughts went something like this, “dang, look at this amazingly strong woman who has worked her butt off (literally), she has this awesome dedication, and perseverance”. That’s awesome - good for her.
Because, I don’t know her story, or your story. I don’t know her why. Maybe the gym is her sanctuary, her therapy; maybe running allows her to get out of her head and show up for her family. Maybe the time she takes to meditate helps her manage depression, maybe the long walks help her be the creative force she is.
Now, take this envy of someone else’s butt and apply it to any other area. Envy of someone else marriage, social media followers, their business, or even their “perfect kids” (ok, I had to stop and snort coffee through my nose on this one - no one really thinks anyone else’s kids are perfect, do you??! No, ok, good, I can move on now).
What if, instead of envy, we came to the same situation with unabashed encouragement and support. What if, instead of seething in envy (I’m preaching to my own choir here), we walked up to the woman in the gym and said “nice butt”? Ok, not really “nice butt” (especially for the men, cause that would get you a strong slap in the face) - we could say, “I see how hard you are working. Great job!”
And, then if we applied that in other areas. What if we speak our appreciation and encouragement wherever we are? What would that look and feel like to other people, to ourselves?
A quote I love, by Ruthie Lindsey, says, “if you see something beautiful in someone, speak it”. I have pulled this into my heart many times to drown out the envy.
It is so harmful to judge another person’s journey. They may be in the middle of theirs, while we have just set our foot on the path of our own. Let them be a light, and inspiration to you. Not a competitor. Not a joy thief.
So, if the next time you see me, I tell you that I like your butt, don’t be too freaked out. #mondaymorningmusings
Comments