Being Selfish.

“Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.” - Oscar Wilde

Kids are always told that being selfish will never win you friends. And parents are right, it won't. But, they never told their kids that being selfish can sometimes a good thing. Proof of this lies with every successful recreational or competitive athlete or anyone trying to achieve a specific goal.

My friends have a hard time believing that I find the time and energy to train for marathons with my busy schedule. I surprise them by saying that there is always time and energy, but sometimes it comes with a bit of sacrifice by being selfish. Most nights I have to get to bed relatively early because I know I will not be able to function well at work or train the next day without an adequate amount of sleep. Some dinner parties I'll have to pass on as I have a long run scheduled the next day and need to practice my pre-race dinner and sleep routine. And sometimes I just can't be somewhere that I'd like to be because I need 'me' time and to relax and put my feet up.

Yes, some would call this selfish and anti-social. But the benefits of setting, following through on and achieving your goals with small compromises in between are far greater than the occasional scowl or eyebrow raise when you are leaving the party early so you can run the following morning. Being selfish isn't about gloating, belittling your peers or becoming obsessive about your goal, but its about finding time to honour and respect yourself. You dearest friends and family will understand and your commitment and passion in achieving your goal might inspire them to follow suit.

So go ahead - be selfish!

Yours in health,

Jenna