Pace, Place and Space; Wherever You Are

I had more friend interactions this weekend that left me with leftover food for thought if you will, and I think it's important to share the thoughts, no matter how they may be perceived.

To preface some metaphorical fun, I'm not a "runner." If anything, I jog. It might even be the "yog" that Ron Burgundy describes, honestly.

Whatever you want to call it, I often reference myself as a "turtle running in peanut butter." For the races I have done, I love that no matter how slow, I just keep a pace. I might not be out of breath or about to die but I'm going, and slowly but surely, I watch many of the "fit moms" slow, stop and walk, or just give up. All the while, I just keep my pace and finish.

After recent discussions and phases of life I just kind of realized, everyone's pace is so different. We all grow and move at entirely different speeds and paces. Guess what? There's nothing wrong with that at all. Especially concerning our children, where pace is everything. 

I took my daughter skating when she was 4. Worst idea ever. She ended up just plain pissed off that I could skate and she couldn't. She just wanted to skate on the carpeted section, not the "slippery" floor. She's been skating about 6 times in the past 2 years and only just this weekend did she skate with confidence, albeit with the little trainer thingy but still. She even fell and got right back up like a champ. I couldn't make her get to it sooner, it's all at her pace.

It came up in conversation that I may not have hit a certain place in my life "just yet," and then experiences where shared in wisdom. This morning I just thought, well, it's not going to be that way for everyone, it's just not. I've personally come into most places, spaces and paces much later than most of my friend group and age group. I've always attributed it to being a late bloomer, but now I just realize that they were all in difference places, spaces and going different paces.

It's all that gorgeous "comparison hangover" that my goddess idol, Kristen Bell, references in a podcast with her husband. We get so engulfed in what everyone else is doing, and no one has it down "right," or remotely "perfectly." 

It's ironic to me also that, as things are more even amidst the chaos in my life, I can be more in tune to the chaos of others. Some in my tribe are extremely like-minded and we seem to be introspectively fighting our inner battles together. Others are definitely walking in different places, spaces and at their own pace.

Personally I find more comfort in knowing my journey is different from others' rather than making it akin to someone else's, but 5 years ago I wanted to be just like a handful of others so I can't promise my uniqueness will stand through every phase change. I like knowing that I'm attempting to continue to grow. I like that I'm solo in some ways but have solidarity in others. 

Wherever you are, don't feel alone in your pace, place and space, but rather unique. It may sound lame and super cliche but for me that perspective is helpful. Life is insane. We are so busy and we see friends come and go like busboys in a restaurant;

sometimes it is overwhelming to try and "keep up." So my mission is to not do that as much. Don't keep up. Keep going, but at your own pace, in your own place and with your own space to go and grow as you need.