The other day I went for a quick swim before work and all the lanes were full. I sat down on the bench hoping that someone was finishing up soon. I'm much too scared to ask someone to share a lane, but luckily there was a kind woman who saw me sitting and offered to share with me. I got into the lane with her and started swimming. Immediately my mind drifted to silly things.....
"I'm so much bigger than her, does she have enough room?" (This lead to me dragging my knuckles more than once on the side wall and leaving my swim with a bloody hand.)
"She is so much faster than me. I wonder if she regrets asking someone like me to share her lane."
The truth is, she probably didn't think of me at all. I am sure I wasn't in her way and since we stayed to our own sides of the lane, I didn't get in the way of her pace at all. She may have thought of me as she switched to breast stroke simply to make sure that she kept her arms slightly more narrow as she passed me, but I'm pretty sure that was the extent.
I came to the realization that most of what I fear is only in my head. I worry too much about what others look like, think of me, or judge me on. In reality, they're probably more focused on their workout and take little notice of me.
I understand that I need to stop worrying about what others think and stop comparing myself to others. What I am doing and who I am is pretty freaking sweet. Why does it matter what others think. And if there is someone out there who has negative thoughts about me running through their brains? Well, that seems like their problem, not mine.
Don't worry about what others think of you. Worry about what you think of you. Water off a duck's back, baby.