What does success mean to you? We often measure success against other’s standards, comparing what we achieve to what others are achieving. I see this happening in class sometimes, and I hear comments based on comparisons to others in the group. 

 

I do always stress in my classes that it is really important to focus on self, on how you are feeling, on how the body is working, and not to worry about what anyone else is doing.

 

However, I know that this doesn’t always happen, because we all tend to compare, and sometimes compete. 

 

This happens in Pilates classes, but it happens in other areas of life too, and unfortunately it can lead to feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, failure, and this can lead to lack of motivation, lack of determination, and putting up barriers to any kind of potential.

 

One of my class participants once said to me when they were struggling with performing one of the exercises, that she realised she wasn’t one of my success stories … how wrong could she be. She has been attending my class for nearly 16 years, she has been the life and soul of class, bringing a smile to everyone’s face, she puts in more than 100% effort every week, she works hard on technique and wants to get the right feeling, she is one of the best attenders to class, and is always positive and supportive … so for me she definitely is one of my success stories, the class would not be the same without her. She is an integral part of this group, and she is absolutely the reason why I love what I do. Her success is how she commits to the class every week, and how she has made it one of her priorities in her life. She values herself enough to want to keep her body moving in the best way she can, I love this — and this is success!

 

There are many ways of measuring our successes in our life, and we do not need to compare what we do or what we achieve to anybody else. Sometimes getting through the day is success enough.