Earlier this week I shared a video on the Running With Curves Facebook page. It showed Michelle Obama working out – like a badass:
Honestly, I am in awe of this woman. She’s strong, smart, confident, powerful, sexy, and sets a great example for her kids (not to mention the rest of the country).
So I was pretty surprised when the video stirred up quite a bit of controversy on the Facebook page! Folks saying that she isn’t a badass, because she’s got a whole team of people making it possible for her to do those workouts, and that the real badasses are the women who get it done despite having numerous other obligations. That it’s easy for Michelle Obama because of who she is.
I totally agree that women who find the time to workout in the midst of juggling a million other things are total rockstars (by the way, I believe that being FLOTUS has gotta be one of the most demanding jobs on the planet, but hey, that’s just my opinion). I also think that those women who workout every day, but have no obligations at all, plus all the money in the world to hire people to train them, are total rockstars too.
This might not be a popular opinion – but hear me out.
When it comes to running and building strength and committing to a healthy lifestyle, it really doesn’t matter how many people you have on your team making it possible for you. The commitment has to come from within. Nobody else can make the daily choices to push a little harder, or push away that cupcake.
If it was possible to buy your dream body, Oprah wouldn’t be on the cover of her own magazine every few years talking about how how she’s gained back all the weight she lost. Don’t get me wrong – I adore Oprah, and love how she has come to a place of peace with her body and weight – and I think she is stunningly beautiful. But for years and years she fought and struggled with food. If one of the richest women in the world couldn’t buy the body she wanted, nobody can.
NOBODY.
Nobody else can do it for you.
You can’t buy muscles.
You can’t buy a strong heart.
You can’t hire someone to do it for you.
You have to create it for yourself, and every single person that makes that choice – whether they have a team of hundreds or are doing it without any help at all – is a total badass.
It’s easy to make excuses. It’s easy to skip your workout. It’s easy to say “I don’t have time” or “I’ll do it later.”
What’s NOT easy is putting on your running shoes and doing something that you know will be uncomfortable and hard.
What’s NOT easy is mustering up the courage to go to the gym when you feel like everyone is looking at you.
What’s NOT easy is showing up at the start line of a race where you know there’s a damn good chance you’ll come in dead last.
None of those things are made easier by having a lot of money, a personal trainer, or your own private chef.
Nobody else can make you stick to your training plan, or your diet.
You have to DO IT YOURSELF.
So yeah, I think FLOTUS is a badass. No matter what your politics are, this is a woman who does the hard work every single day. And honestly, she could easily get by without doing any of it. She’s the First Lady. Nobody expects her to have a tight, toned, athletic body, or to show herself dripping with sweat in the gym. Instead, she’s an example of strength, commitment and the joy of movement. Rock on!
So here’s to all those women in the world that make the hard decisions every single day – whether you have a staff of hundreds or you’re a single mom with 3 kids and 3 jobs – you’re all rockstars!
