Taking Swift Advantage of the Hours

Opportunities do not come with their values stamped upon them. Everyone must be challenged. A day dawns, quite like other days; in it a single hour comes, quite like other hours; but in that day and in that hour the chance of a lifetime faces us.
-Maltbie Davenport Bab***
Today I woke up and it was quite like any other day.  I went in to the kitchen, I poured my coffee, I kissed my son and husband "goodmorning", then prepared my Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal and poured 20 ounces of water in to my water bottle for my breakfast.

Today was quite like any other day.  Nothing unique about it.  But it already had success stamped all over it.

When I woke up, I began my day with my daily Habits of Health rituals.  My routine.  One that I have been practicing for, well, years really.  There was no neon sign flashing above me as I woke up saying "Today you have the opportunity of a LIFETIME, you have the opportunity to CONTINUE MAINTAINING YOUR HEALTH!!"  No.  I didn't see that neon sign.  But I have already internalized that each day presents it's own opportunity for success, for a further reaching of my health goals, so I didn't need the sign.

My sign is inside me now. 

You see, I could have woken and up and thought "Man, my son has repeat labs this morning from a follow up of last weeks labs where there was a number the Docs didn't like..." and I could have further rationalized that because I'm stressed I deserve to have TWO cups of coffee with half and half in it instead of "only" one.  Not only that, but man I could really go for a Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake to go with that coffee, because I'm so stressed and worried and I deserve a little bit of goodness in my day, don't I?

No, I deserve health.  And my daily actions support that belief.

I used to believe that food was what I deserved.  That food was what I craved.  That eating whatever I want meant true freedom, and my single thought going in to whatever new "diet" I was going to try was "I can't wait to get through this....so I can EAT (normally...ha ha what a joke) again.

Food.  Food.  Food.  Food.  Food.  Food.

Food took a front seat to taking care of myself and my family.  Food was prioritized in my social commitments.  I was thinking about food from the time I woke up, through the day, and when I went to sleep.

I care about all of you, and this is a journey which is why I stay here and blog, but some days I just can't read one more blog about people who are refusing to turn their attention AWAY from food and TOWARDS health. 

This is vital.  It is a vital shift, and it doesn't happen by accident.  You don't all of a sudden wake up one morning and realize that you are beginning to focus on health.  You intentionally SHIFT your focus TOWARDS health.  How do you do it?  Firstly, STOP watching the Food Network or the Cooking Channel.  STOP pouring over Pinterest for yummy looking decadent recipes.  STOP buying cookbooks that aren't oriented towards health, lean proteins, vegetables, etc.  STOP oohing and ahing over the bakery section in the grocery store.  Mindfully.  Stop.

If you don't make room for the healthy thoughts to grow, for your fit mind to develop, then they won't. 

Start ACTING like a fit and healthy person, and eventually your body will catch up.  =)  Develop a fit and healthy mind with intention, because it won't happen by accident.  It is SO fun!  Honest!

So, take swift advantage of the hours my friends, work the plan with thoughtfulness, and carefully guard your wants.  For soon enough, your wants become your desires.  Then your mind won't rest until you HAVE them.  Do you WANT health?  Or do you WANT the yummy food?  Because we always get what we want.....eventually.....

It only STAYS hard, you only STRUGGLE more if you are filling your mind constantly with thoughts of yummy food, and seeing this whole process as one big DENIAL.
Rinse and Repeat!