“Swimmer’s Body” Phenomenon

I read recently about the “swimmer’s body” phenomenon. You see someone at the gym or at the pool with broad shoulders, lean and muscular legs, V-shaped back. And you think, I’m going to get into swimming because I want to look like that.

But the piece of the puzzle that is missing, is that this person was sorted into a class of swimmers when they were young, exactly because they possess that body type naturally. If you’re built like a swimmer, you may not be a great shot putter; and if you’re built like a volleyball player, you’re probably not going be a great gymnast.

I think, too often, when we look to self-improvement goals, we’re not seeking something that suits us. Your goal should be to be YOUR best self. Not something that is not you. You’ll always fail at being not you.

Thor’s mom tells him in  one of the Avengers movies – “Everyone fails at who they’re supposed to be, Thor. A measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are.”

So, just imagine the superhero you have the potential to be, if you focus on being the one you’re meant to be. Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch have different skill sets and personalities.  And you may not have a swimmer’s body naturally. But you also might be harboring untapped greatness … that is lost in a sea of confusion, in which you seek to be the wrong superhero.

So I challenge you to make a list. What are your strengths, skills, talents? What are the things that people have praised you for through the years? What are parts of you that you like the best about yourself? What are the activities or tasks or hobbies that you enjoy or excel at?

Now, for the rest of this year, I challenge you to double down on those. Go hard in those directions. Push yourself towards greatness in those areas.

If you’re a runner, I dare you to run an extra mile this week. But if you’re a runner, I don’t need you to lift an extra 50 pounds this week.

I’m a great chef, but a terrible baker.

For a while, I thought I should bring my baking skills up to par with my cooking skills. But that left me frustrated and annoyed.

Instead, I’ve spent more time trying to hone my cooking skills. I already have potential and momentum there, so let’s run with it.  Rather than shooting for some arbitrary goal that doesn’t feel what I’m naturally inclined towards.

The quote, often misattributed to Einstein, is “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

So, are you a fish or are you a monkey? Should you judge yourself by your climbing skills and try to improve them? Or…should you swim faster and farther across the ocean?!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Anonymous