A friend of mine who struggles with her weight recently commented on how lean I was looking and said with a heavy sigh, “You are so lucky.”

I didn’t say anything in the moment, but I thought this was interesting since this friend knew me three years ago when I was at my heaviest weight ever and has witnessed me not only getting the weight off, but keeping it off for the first time in my life.

Truly, luck has had nothing to do with it.

Wellness is something that I focus on and strive to achieve. I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I am committed to regularly moving my body and eating healthy food most of the time. But more importantly, I have changed my relationship with my body—and with myself.

I love and appreciate myself more, and as a result, I do more to take care of me. This “selfishness” of making my self-care a priority has actually enabled me to do more for others because I feel better mind, body, and spirit. Not only do I have more physical energy, but I have more mental and emotional energy. I am happier, healthier, and more in love with life as a result. My being happier has an impact on everyone I encounter.

We often assume that everyone else has it easier than we do and that we are alone in our struggles. We think weight loss, relationships, and life are just easier for everyone else.

Even when we witness other people’s struggles we forget. My friend doesn’t remember that in the middle of my initial effort to lose weight that my husband suffered a life-changing wellness-challenge that made it hard for him to get out of bed. While he’s much better now, there were some tough times that would have been easy to use as an excuse for giving up.

Everyone has had their share of struggle and challenge that they have overcome—including you. What you have overcome in your life is amazing. How much more powerful—and empowering—is it to compare you with you?

As my friend, mentor, and coach, Jennifer Barley recently blogged, luck is about “having intentions, aligning your actions, sending out the right kind of energy, leading with your heart, and being in the now.” The only thing I would add is it’s also letting go of comparing your success to anyone else’s.

Begin to reframe your journey. Look at and celebrate how far you have come. And if you’re not where you want to be, what is one small step you can take to begin moving in the direction you want to go? How does that begin to change your luck?

Together we can do it!

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