It seems as though fall is in full swing. School is underway and we are settling back into routine. What is your routine? Does it include better habits?
Seems as though stepping back into routine can sometimes be an eye opener or rude awakening. There are some aspects in life that we let slip from time to time and before long we find ourselves realizing just how far we have slipped. This can be very discouraging. You look back at how far you have come and how hard you worked to get there and in a matter of weeks it seems like you closed your eyes and BAM you are back to square one. How does this happen? And why does it happen to me over and over, don’t I ever learn? Truth is you always learn, you learn from your triumphs and from your mistakes. One of the hardest things for me to learn or accept on this journey is the fact that it is never going to be easy and I am never going to finish. Sounds pretty dismal doesn’t it? I guess you could look at it another way…I eventually will finish when my time in this body is over. I have two choices I can take care of my body with some hard effort and enjoy my trip to the finish or I can take the easy way, abuse my body and feel miserable on the trip to the finish. Ever notice how that miserable feeling tends to accompany the realization that we have slipped and reverted back to our less healthy habits? It takes just as much time and effort to beat yourself up and feel sorry for yourself as it does to make the decision and take action to build yourself up to a better you. Think about it…how much time in a day would you say you spend down grading yourself? Oh I could have done better at that…That was stupid why did I do that…Look at yourself you look so fat in those jeans. Who hasn’t said at least one of those things to themselves? Think about how much different you would feel if you said or did something positive for yourself every time you would typically say or do something negative.
I want to share something that Cindy Paul shared with me last fall…
“I liked my old body, you know the one that didn’t complain or rebel when asked to do something. So the first of July I started on my journey to better health. It was getting to the point of almost not having enough strength to lift my own body weight. Getting the groceries up 4 steps and into the house was getting hard to do. My love of gardening was becoming a chore. I was overweight and miserable.”
Cindy had two choices here, she could either beat herself up for getting to this point or she could take action and do something about it. Here is what she chose.
“I set a goal of losing 20 pounds by February. I have lost 15 by the end of November. I started out on the treadmill with no incline and hanging on for dear life. The weight machines were scary. I started with the least amount of weight to lift. I dreaded them. Now I look forward to pushing my body to pick up the next level of weights and giggling to myself when I can.
Happiness is actually fitting comfortably into my clothes again. I still have a ways to go to reach my goal but it is within reach now.”
30 Nov 2011 – Cindy Paul
Cindy ended with thanking Your Life Fitness. Truth is I should be thanking her because it is with great pleasure that I can be here to witness and share with people their amazing triumphs. We often think that success is measured with money and material things. In fact when starting Your Life Fitness I was in search of financial freedom and to be my own boss, both aspects are great but the pleasure I have encountered assisting others make changes and being successful on their journey (yes both ups and downs) is worth more than anything I can take to the bank.
What is your choice this week are you going to dwell on your mistakes and misfortune or are you going to take action and get your life back? Only you can decide…
