In today's age of never-ending information, the pursuit of the "right" can be incredibly difficult. That's because, whatever you are doing, you will almost always find someone who is telling you that you are doing it wrong. Instead of trying to please others, decide for yourself who you are and what is important to you. Personally, I go to the gym because I enjoy it. It's just that simple. I can't tell you happy I was today when I was able to crank out 5 unassisted neutral grip pull ups in a row.
Of course, I ultimately want to get better -- a lot better -- at pull ups, but I also don't want to lose the joy that it brings me. The pull up is a great fitness litmus test. I am still only able to do 2 (possibly 3) unassisted wide grip pull ups in good form.
There is no easy way to up that number. Or take the standing dumbbell overhead press I did today.
I rarely if ever do this exercise standing up. My soul smiles when I think about how far I've come in just two years with this exercise. I tend to feel inadequate with activities for which I have less proficiency. When we pigeonhole ourselves as "just a casual lifter" or "not a real bodybuilder," we set a precedent that we are somehow less. But no matter the stories my mind sometimes tells me, I am a lifter and so is every other person at my gym. Being a bodybuilder is not defined by the skill level with which you do it. All that's required is the willingness to participate in the activity. This freedom from false expectations makes me willing to try my hand at things that are outside of my wheelhouse.
If we want to succeed at anything in life, we have to be willing to fail. By doing so, we can learn and grow in ways we never imagined. Whatever ray of hope you find in your life today, take hold of it and run with it. Sure, there'll be some clouds, but they will only serve to make the subsequent sunshine all the sweeter.