Putting it in perspective

I’M sitting here typing this and having some chocolate. I’ve just seen a photo of myself at an angle I’m not used to and to be quite honest, I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

Do you ever get that? When your partner or pal takes a photo, or you’re tagged in a Facebook pic, and you think “is that actually me?”.

I have been very self-critical recently. I don’t know why.

I’ve been eating well (most of the time), working out lots at the gym, and even dressed up for a night out in Glasgow last week when I thought I looked quite nice.

So why is it we just need one “bad” photo to put us in a mood?

Luckily, for me, I’ve had a reminder to put things into perspective.

On Sunday at the Race for Life in Stirling I met a lovely lady called Samantha Currie.

Samantha was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer the day before she was due to be a bridesmaid at her best mate Kara’s wedding.

She still went ahead with her bridesmaid duties and kept it a secret until a few days after.

She has already had chemo and a lumpectomy and is due to start radiotherapy in a few weeks.

Samantha told me she was “exhausted”.

I complain I’m “exhausted” sometimes when I have to take the bins out.

Yet Samantha started both the 5k and 10k races with a big smile on her face.

She was so vibrant and full of life with an army of friends and family supporting her, along with her husband and two kids.

It makes my panic over how I look in a photo seem trivial really, doesn’t it?

Who are we trying to impress? Why are we trying to impress them? Why aren’t we happy with the way we look and why can’t we just learn to love ourselves no matter what?

We need to take a leaf out of Samantha’s book. I don’t know how she does it.

She has set up a Facebook group – The Big C and Me – to raise awareness.

She wants to get people talking about cancer and to give advice to anyone who needs it.

Always remember to check for abnormalities in your body, early detection really is everything.

If you are signed up for any Race for Life events this year, you may just see me popping up on stage and at the finish line to cheer you on.

This weekend I’ll be hosting at Beveridge Park in Kirkcaldy and I’m looking forward to meeting more inspirational people.

l You can hear more from Lynne Hoggan on Pure Radio, from 10am Monday to Friday and on Saturday from 1pm.

Samantha Currie