Audience of One
It’s so easy to find ourselves performing for the crowd, living up to expectations, and listening to the voices. These are usually voices of people who don’t really care about us. Or perhaps it is the voices in our head that we may not even know how they got there. Sometimes don’t you just want to stop the noise??
That is exactly the reason we should examine the question, ‘who is your audience’? For whom are you working, striving, and pursuing? If you have chosen a worthy audience, you will want to use your gifts and talents to the max; however, at the same time realize that your identity is not wrapped up within them, nor the results they can produce.
Instead of listening to the myriad of voices that are either tearing you down, breaking your confidence, or putting pressure for results alone, listen to the one audience for whom 100% effort is desired and celebrated.
Narrow your focus. Think about your largest goals. What is of lasting value when it’s all done? Find your cause and let everything else in life reflect that.
Fitness is one of the best ways to learn this lesson and test it out. Most of us are blessed with some functioning limbs, breath in our lungs and blood pumping from our heart. Use these gifts! And give them 100% effort. At AO1 we truly believe that you learn what you are made of when you face a tough physical challenge and you don’t back down – you actually give it all the energy you have. That is an incredible feeling and will change your mindset for life.
On the flip side, fitness can so easily become results driven. It’s easy to zero in on the numbers and feel like it become a pass/fail system. This is the other side of wisely choosing your audience and only allowing that focus to influence your thoughts and decisions. If you know your identity and who you are working for and that you truly gave a challenge everything you have, then whatever the results may be, you will walk with confidence and fulfillment.
Spend some time thinking and maybe journaling to decide for yourself, who is your audience. Let that be the framework through which everything else is decided.