I try to do an hour of "Personal
Development" every day, and today I was reading a book I received
recently on recommendation from a friend called "Change or Die" by Alan
Deutschman.
All I can say is, WOW. This guy has the psychology
of creating lasting behavior change DOWN. In reading the primary tenets
of the book, I realized I was looking backwards at a pretty accurate
summary of the mind change that I went through within the last couple of
years.
Upon first glance, the title gives the reader somewhat of
a preconceived notion that Fear, Facts, and Force are the primary
methods of creating lasting change. Reader BEWARE!!! Nothing could be
further from the point of this book.
In fact, he makes the point
that when the "Three 'F's' ARE employed, FEAR, FACTS, or FORCE, change
is rarely if ever permanent or sustainable in any real way. In fact,
only 1 in 10 people who initially respond with a commitment to change
their life which is based out of any of these three components ONLY will
succeed in the long-run at making it a lasting change.
What,
then? Is this a hopeless situation for the life-time strugglers in the
weight and diet department? Are 9 out of 10 of us destined to slog out
the rest of our days being overweight or obese and feeling powerless,
absolutely POWERLESS to effect REAL an LASTING change?
On the contrary. This is a book about hope. H*O*P*E.
The
Author, having studied three distinct populations where even the most
professional psychologist and psychoanalyst, and medical science and
history say are UNCHANGEABLE in their behaviors, and having SEEN REAL
and LASTING change and OBSERVED 8 out of 10 of these persons living a
life of FREEDOM from their past, unwanted behaviors, comes to the
conclusion that there are THREE KEYS to creating real, lasting,
sustainable, ACTUAL changes in lifestyle and perspective.
Whew! I was hoping he would say that!
What are those three keys?
1) Relate
2) Repeat
3) Reframe
"1- Relate: You form a new, emotional relationship with a person or community that inspires and sustains hope.If
you face a situation that a reasonable person would consider hopeless,
you need the influence of seemingly "unreasonable" people to restore
your hope - to make you believe that you can change, and expect that you
will change.
2- Repeat: The new relationship helps you learn, practice, and master the new habits and skills that you'll need.
It
takes a lot of repetition over time before new patterns of behavior
become automatic and seem natural - until you act the new way without
even thinking about it. It helps tremendously to have a good teacher,
coach, or mentor to give you guidance, encouragement, and direction
along the way.
3- Reframe: The new relationship helps you learn new ways of thinking about your situation and your life.
Ultimately,
you look at the world in a way that would have been so foreign to you
that it wouldn't have made any sense before you changed.
New hope, new skills, and new thinking.
Wow. Just, WOW. This describes to a "T" my journey with Take Shape For Life.
Whew!
I know there are some who believe that I just had a big dose of the crazy sauce.
No,
looking back I know that all three of the above actually occurred in my
life, and that it allowed me to create a solid foundation of health.
NOT A DIET.
I hope someone finds encouragement in this synopsis. I know I found great encouragement reading it in the book!
Rinse and Repeat!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
"We ARE what we repeatedly DO" - Aristotle
"We ARE what we repeatedly DO. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit." - Aristotle
Before losing 150 pounds and creating Optimal Health in my life, this was true.
AFTER losing 150 pounds and creating Optimal Health in my life, this remains true.
Before beginning the process of getting healthy, I was the sum total of my habits. My Habits of Disease, my UNHEALTHY Habits. What did that look like?
I can sum it up in a few sentences. EATING unhealthy food, and LIVING a sedentary lifestyle. The quality of life this created for me was a dark place. I was an extrovert living as an introvert. I weighed 272 pounds and walked occasionally with a cane when my knees hurt too badly. I was almost as big around my middle as I was tall, and doing anything but sitting on the couch was a real effort. My son was growing up with no one to play with him because I couldn't get up off the floor without the assistance of a piece of furniture, and while sitting on the floor it felt like I was suffocating.
I was. Suffocating. In a world of my own making.
When I fully realized the tools I had available to me to create the health I desired, though, things changed. Rapidly. Within 2 weeks of beginning the program I had more energy. My mood lifted and the dark clouds seemed to lessen. I smiled.
As I moved into Optimal Health I can scarcely remember what it felt like to walk into my closet full of clothing in 13 sizes (THIRTEEN SIZES!!!!!) and have nothing to wear, nothing that made me feel pretty or confident about myself at ALL.
Now my life is so different. SO different. I decided WHO I wanted to be, and then I began DOING what that person would do.
I began to practice Habits of Health. Daily. Consistently. Over time, I BECAME the person I knew I COULD HAVE BEEN!
Now? I'm an extrovert LIVING like an extrovert. I smile every day all day because I have genuine joy and peace living the life I knew I could live. I began repeatedly DOING those things that would bring my TOWARDS health. And I can say with full confidence that I am enjoying that health FULLY.
So what do you do? Are you satisfied with being the person who thinks they can't get through a weekend "on program?" Are you satisfied being the person who "will always struggle with my weight?" Then continue DOING those things and focusing on the struggle and focusing on the yummy food on the weekends that you have been thinking about all week. Because eventually we all get what we want. What do you want?
What did I want? I wanted health. I wanted health so badly that I refused to focus on the "hard" or the "struggle" and began DOING the work. And eventually it wasn't hard anymore. And eventually the struggle ceased. Because I DID what needed to be done.
We aren't overweight or obese because we are just destined to be that way. We are overweight or obese because up until now we have chosen to engage in the habits that would make us so. So make a NEW habit. Practice that habit daily. Master it. Then move on to the next habit.
Some habits I created along the way:
*Measuring my cooked protein on a food scale. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Measuring my vegetables with a measuring cup. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Drinking 90 ounces of water daily. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Adding daily healthy motion daily. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Reading a few pages of Dr. A's Habits of Health consistently. I still do it.
*Eating 5 meal replacements per day when I was on the 5&1. ALWAYS. I still utilize the meal replacements in my healthy maintenance plan because I have chosen to incorporate them. I haven't found a superior alternative so I stick to what works for optimal nutrition and low glycemic.
*I did NOT use weekends, special occasions, office parties, or other social functions to "take a break" from health. I still don't.
I want to encourage you to choose your path then develop the habits that will take you there. IF you would like a program that helps you create the health you desire, message me and let's get going. I am a FREE Certified Health Coach. I'll help you get on the path towards Optimal Health.
Rinse and Repeat!
Before losing 150 pounds and creating Optimal Health in my life, this was true.
AFTER losing 150 pounds and creating Optimal Health in my life, this remains true.
Before beginning the process of getting healthy, I was the sum total of my habits. My Habits of Disease, my UNHEALTHY Habits. What did that look like?
I can sum it up in a few sentences. EATING unhealthy food, and LIVING a sedentary lifestyle. The quality of life this created for me was a dark place. I was an extrovert living as an introvert. I weighed 272 pounds and walked occasionally with a cane when my knees hurt too badly. I was almost as big around my middle as I was tall, and doing anything but sitting on the couch was a real effort. My son was growing up with no one to play with him because I couldn't get up off the floor without the assistance of a piece of furniture, and while sitting on the floor it felt like I was suffocating.
I was. Suffocating. In a world of my own making.
When I fully realized the tools I had available to me to create the health I desired, though, things changed. Rapidly. Within 2 weeks of beginning the program I had more energy. My mood lifted and the dark clouds seemed to lessen. I smiled.
As I moved into Optimal Health I can scarcely remember what it felt like to walk into my closet full of clothing in 13 sizes (THIRTEEN SIZES!!!!!) and have nothing to wear, nothing that made me feel pretty or confident about myself at ALL.
Now my life is so different. SO different. I decided WHO I wanted to be, and then I began DOING what that person would do.
I began to practice Habits of Health. Daily. Consistently. Over time, I BECAME the person I knew I COULD HAVE BEEN!
Now? I'm an extrovert LIVING like an extrovert. I smile every day all day because I have genuine joy and peace living the life I knew I could live. I began repeatedly DOING those things that would bring my TOWARDS health. And I can say with full confidence that I am enjoying that health FULLY.
So what do you do? Are you satisfied with being the person who thinks they can't get through a weekend "on program?" Are you satisfied being the person who "will always struggle with my weight?" Then continue DOING those things and focusing on the struggle and focusing on the yummy food on the weekends that you have been thinking about all week. Because eventually we all get what we want. What do you want?
What did I want? I wanted health. I wanted health so badly that I refused to focus on the "hard" or the "struggle" and began DOING the work. And eventually it wasn't hard anymore. And eventually the struggle ceased. Because I DID what needed to be done.
We aren't overweight or obese because we are just destined to be that way. We are overweight or obese because up until now we have chosen to engage in the habits that would make us so. So make a NEW habit. Practice that habit daily. Master it. Then move on to the next habit.
Some habits I created along the way:
*Measuring my cooked protein on a food scale. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Measuring my vegetables with a measuring cup. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Drinking 90 ounces of water daily. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Adding daily healthy motion daily. ALWAYS. I still do it.
*Reading a few pages of Dr. A's Habits of Health consistently. I still do it.
*Eating 5 meal replacements per day when I was on the 5&1. ALWAYS. I still utilize the meal replacements in my healthy maintenance plan because I have chosen to incorporate them. I haven't found a superior alternative so I stick to what works for optimal nutrition and low glycemic.
*I did NOT use weekends, special occasions, office parties, or other social functions to "take a break" from health. I still don't.
I want to encourage you to choose your path then develop the habits that will take you there. IF you would like a program that helps you create the health you desire, message me and let's get going. I am a FREE Certified Health Coach. I'll help you get on the path towards Optimal Health.
Rinse and Repeat!
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Relating to Stephen Covey
I
KNOW I've read Stephen Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
before but it did not speak to me before like it speaks to me now. I
guess when the student is ready the teacher will emerge LOL! I read the book in college and it sounded like "Blah blah blah-de-blah blah blah".
Last night I was reading his book and he mentioned the following:
"Inside-Out: Many people experience a fundamental shift in thinking when they face a life-threatening crisis and suddently see their priorities in a different light, or when they suddently step into a new role, such as that of a husband or wife, parent or grandparent, manager or leader.
We could spend weeks, months, or even years laboring with the Personality Ethic trying to change our attitudes and behaviors and not even begin to approach the phenomenon of change that occurs spontaneously when we see things differently.
It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic Paradigms.
In the words of Thoreau, 'For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.' We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms fro which our attitudes and behaviors flow.
Of course, not all paradigm shifts are instantaneous. Some are a slow, difficult, and deliberate process.
In order to see things differently, we had to BE differently. Our new paradigm can be created as we invest in the growth and development of our character.
Paradigms are inseparable from character.
BEING is SEEING in the human dimension. And what we SEE is highly interrelated to what we ARE. We can't go very far to change our seeing without simultaneously changing our BEING, and vice-versa.
Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world. The power of a paradigm shift is the essential power of quantum change, whether that shift is an instantaneous, or a slow and deliberate process."
WOW. I mean, WOW.
I can truly say that my paradigm has shifted on how I see myself and how I see my health, and health in general.
Gone are the days that I am just psyching myself up for another day. If you read back in my blogs over the last 7-8 years you will see that the change came slowly, in a deliberate process of sometimes painful change. I changed my paradigm to that of orienting myself towards HEALTH, it isn't just a way of looking at things or a tricky maneuver with semantics. It is a fundamental SHIFT in how I see me, how I see the world, and the lens through which I think, process emotions, and choose to behave on a day to day basis.
WOW.
So, for some it is a "trigger experience" that shifts their paradigm. Mine was slow and deliberate and INTENTIONAL.
I AM a fit and healthy woman because I shifted my PARADIGM to BE a fit and healthy woman, and in so doing I BECAME a fit and healthy woman. And a fit and healthy woman I will REMAIN.
Wow.
Just some thoughts for a Sunday morning!
Rinse and Repeat!
Last night I was reading his book and he mentioned the following:
"Inside-Out: Many people experience a fundamental shift in thinking when they face a life-threatening crisis and suddently see their priorities in a different light, or when they suddently step into a new role, such as that of a husband or wife, parent or grandparent, manager or leader.
We could spend weeks, months, or even years laboring with the Personality Ethic trying to change our attitudes and behaviors and not even begin to approach the phenomenon of change that occurs spontaneously when we see things differently.
It becomes obvious that if we want to make relatively minor changes in our lives, we can perhaps appropriately focus on our attitudes and behaviors. But if we want to make significant, quantum change, we need to work on our basic Paradigms.
In the words of Thoreau, 'For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking at the root.' We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms fro which our attitudes and behaviors flow.
Of course, not all paradigm shifts are instantaneous. Some are a slow, difficult, and deliberate process.
In order to see things differently, we had to BE differently. Our new paradigm can be created as we invest in the growth and development of our character.
Paradigms are inseparable from character.
BEING is SEEING in the human dimension. And what we SEE is highly interrelated to what we ARE. We can't go very far to change our seeing without simultaneously changing our BEING, and vice-versa.
Paradigms are powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world. The power of a paradigm shift is the essential power of quantum change, whether that shift is an instantaneous, or a slow and deliberate process."
WOW. I mean, WOW.
I can truly say that my paradigm has shifted on how I see myself and how I see my health, and health in general.
Gone are the days that I am just psyching myself up for another day. If you read back in my blogs over the last 7-8 years you will see that the change came slowly, in a deliberate process of sometimes painful change. I changed my paradigm to that of orienting myself towards HEALTH, it isn't just a way of looking at things or a tricky maneuver with semantics. It is a fundamental SHIFT in how I see me, how I see the world, and the lens through which I think, process emotions, and choose to behave on a day to day basis.
WOW.
So, for some it is a "trigger experience" that shifts their paradigm. Mine was slow and deliberate and INTENTIONAL.
I AM a fit and healthy woman because I shifted my PARADIGM to BE a fit and healthy woman, and in so doing I BECAME a fit and healthy woman. And a fit and healthy woman I will REMAIN.
Wow.
Just some thoughts for a Sunday morning!
Rinse and Repeat!
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Breaking the Generational Cycle of UnHealth
One thing my son will likely not
experience is being able to remember a time where his Mom was a "yo-yo
dieter". Because I made the decision to become Optimally Healthy back
in 2010 when he was 5 years old, he now has a healthy Mom who will NOT
"struggle with her weight" for his entire formative years and beyond.
This is his new reality, and mine as well. I can honestly say "I USED to struggle with my weight, before I decided to create optimal health in my life!" It is so freeing to know that I am not passing my previous dysfunctional relationship with food on to my son.
The cycle is broken.
You see, I am 100% sure that I will not give up Optimal Health.
Here is what my life USED to look like.
I am sad to say that I made my god my stomach, by orienting my life around the pleasures and the excitement of unhealthy food and dealing with the consequences of that. I let food determine my emotions for the day. If I was feeling blue or anxious or stress I'd turn to IT for comfort and a temporary "high". It was my drug. It was my idol. Literally. I'd orient my day around what and when and where I was going to eat. And it had to be yummy.
The times that I would have a glimpse of what I had become, and wake from a food-induced coma long enough to realize how unhappy I was and how dysfunctional and unmanageable my life had become, I would enter a "diet mentality" with zealous abandon. I would psyche myself up for another round of deprivation from the food I loved, buckle down and hold my breath, anxiously hopping on the scale every single morning knowing that "it" would determine what kind of day I was going to have, an inflated (emotionally) day or a deflated day. I was impatient to "get there" and "be done with this" and "get to goal" and I'd make elaborate charts about "if I lose this much per week starting now then this line says I should be "at goal" on such and so date...."
I had simply switched idols. Instead of my stomach being my idol, I had made the scale my idol. The scale determined my emotions. The scale gave me permission to be happy or sad. The scale determined my self-worth each day and I lived by that determination. I was petrified of whether "today" would be the day I'd dive off plan and it would be the beginning of my rapid weight REGAIN, perpetuating the cycle of "lose, gain, repent, repeat". I was distrustful of myself. I couldn't understand how one minute I could say "no" to something "off plan" with steely resolve, but the next minute be putting a piece of cake or brownie in my mouth that I may have been left alone with. It felt like multiple personality disorder! How could I be "so strong" for a day and then, like Jekyll and Hyde, turn into this person who appeared to NOT CARE whether she gained weight or not? This was NOT the person I wanted to be. But I didn't seem able to figure out what to do about it!
My life looks so different today. WHY? Because I made the fundamental decision to create optimal health in my life. I decided to become the version of myself which reflected my full God-given potential. You see, I don't believe God called me to be a fattie. I had done that to myself, by having unbalanced priorities and by not fully realizing or believing that I was capable of living a life of health and, yes, self-discipline.
I am so grateful to Take Shape For Life for giving me the tools I needed:
* The Medifast 5&1 Plan for the weight loss phase
* Dr. A's Habits of Health System as my guide for CHANGING my MIND
* The individual support of my most awesome Health Coach
* The Bionetwork of support of the Community (Events, Conventions, Trainings, Doctors, Nurses, Dietitians, Behavioral Therapists and Exercise Specialists that were available to me, even being able to talk personally with Dr. A at events)
And I am so grateful to God for giving us the free will to choose how we will live our lives here on Earth. I choose to live it in a manner worthy of that which I have been called in the service of my family and my community. I couldn't even BEGIN to do that when I was Class IV Super Obese and didn't even have enough mental energy to get through one day, didn't have enough emotional energy to give to anyone else, even my family, and didn't have enough physical energy to even walk to my car without huffing and puffing.
A new life. A joyful life. A renewed mind. They aren't kidding. An authentic life and an authentic me. I have utterly transformed inside and out, and I'm not EVER going back into that dark cave of the diet mentality. I am an Optimal Health Practitioner! =)
Rinse and Repeat!
This is his new reality, and mine as well. I can honestly say "I USED to struggle with my weight, before I decided to create optimal health in my life!" It is so freeing to know that I am not passing my previous dysfunctional relationship with food on to my son.
The cycle is broken.
You see, I am 100% sure that I will not give up Optimal Health.
Here is what my life USED to look like.
I am sad to say that I made my god my stomach, by orienting my life around the pleasures and the excitement of unhealthy food and dealing with the consequences of that. I let food determine my emotions for the day. If I was feeling blue or anxious or stress I'd turn to IT for comfort and a temporary "high". It was my drug. It was my idol. Literally. I'd orient my day around what and when and where I was going to eat. And it had to be yummy.
The times that I would have a glimpse of what I had become, and wake from a food-induced coma long enough to realize how unhappy I was and how dysfunctional and unmanageable my life had become, I would enter a "diet mentality" with zealous abandon. I would psyche myself up for another round of deprivation from the food I loved, buckle down and hold my breath, anxiously hopping on the scale every single morning knowing that "it" would determine what kind of day I was going to have, an inflated (emotionally) day or a deflated day. I was impatient to "get there" and "be done with this" and "get to goal" and I'd make elaborate charts about "if I lose this much per week starting now then this line says I should be "at goal" on such and so date...."
I had simply switched idols. Instead of my stomach being my idol, I had made the scale my idol. The scale determined my emotions. The scale gave me permission to be happy or sad. The scale determined my self-worth each day and I lived by that determination. I was petrified of whether "today" would be the day I'd dive off plan and it would be the beginning of my rapid weight REGAIN, perpetuating the cycle of "lose, gain, repent, repeat". I was distrustful of myself. I couldn't understand how one minute I could say "no" to something "off plan" with steely resolve, but the next minute be putting a piece of cake or brownie in my mouth that I may have been left alone with. It felt like multiple personality disorder! How could I be "so strong" for a day and then, like Jekyll and Hyde, turn into this person who appeared to NOT CARE whether she gained weight or not? This was NOT the person I wanted to be. But I didn't seem able to figure out what to do about it!
My life looks so different today. WHY? Because I made the fundamental decision to create optimal health in my life. I decided to become the version of myself which reflected my full God-given potential. You see, I don't believe God called me to be a fattie. I had done that to myself, by having unbalanced priorities and by not fully realizing or believing that I was capable of living a life of health and, yes, self-discipline.
I am so grateful to Take Shape For Life for giving me the tools I needed:
* The Medifast 5&1 Plan for the weight loss phase
* Dr. A's Habits of Health System as my guide for CHANGING my MIND
* The individual support of my most awesome Health Coach
* The Bionetwork of support of the Community (Events, Conventions, Trainings, Doctors, Nurses, Dietitians, Behavioral Therapists and Exercise Specialists that were available to me, even being able to talk personally with Dr. A at events)
And I am so grateful to God for giving us the free will to choose how we will live our lives here on Earth. I choose to live it in a manner worthy of that which I have been called in the service of my family and my community. I couldn't even BEGIN to do that when I was Class IV Super Obese and didn't even have enough mental energy to get through one day, didn't have enough emotional energy to give to anyone else, even my family, and didn't have enough physical energy to even walk to my car without huffing and puffing.
A new life. A joyful life. A renewed mind. They aren't kidding. An authentic life and an authentic me. I have utterly transformed inside and out, and I'm not EVER going back into that dark cave of the diet mentality. I am an Optimal Health Practitioner! =)
Rinse and Repeat!
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Taking a Lesson from The Gladiator
One of my favorite quotes of all time is
in the movie The Gladiator with Russel Crowe. Russel's General
character, Maximus, has just been asked to do something "for Rome" and
for "Duty-sake" which will conceivable delay his going home to see his
family whom he hasn't seen for years. It is his hearts desire to see
his family again, and he is struggling with the decision of whether to
say "Yes" to the Caesar's request. In contemplation, he has the
following dialogue with his servant/valet Cicero.
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
Taking a Lesson from "The Gladiator"....
One of my favorite quotes of all time is
in the movie The Gladiator with Russel Crowe. Russel's General
character, Maximus, has just been asked to do something "for Rome" and
for "Duty-sake" which will conceivable delay his going home to see his
family whom he hasn't seen for years. It is his hearts desire to see
his family again, and he is struggling with the decision of whether to
say "Yes" to the Caesar's request. In contemplation, he has the
following dialogue with his servant/valet Cicero.
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
Taking a Lesson from "The Gladiator"....
One of my favorite quotes of all time is
in the movie The Gladiator with Russel Crowe. Russel's General
character, Maximus, has just been asked to do something "for Rome" and
for "Duty-sake" which will conceivable delay his going home to see his
family whom he hasn't seen for years. It is his hearts desire to see
his family again, and he is struggling with the decision of whether to
say "Yes" to the Caesar's request. In contemplation, he has the
following dialogue with his servant/valet Cicero.
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
Maximus: You don't find it hard to do your duty?
Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.
I found that for the last 13 miles of my Paris Marathon my brain AND my emotions were arguing with each other for who had the BEST reason to quit. Therefore, my brain AND my emotions were BOTH on board with me quitting, and were just oozing with reasons that it would just make sense to do so. While they were battling it out, coming up with compelling reason after reason both appealing to my rational sense of logic AND my emotions, I just kept DOING. I just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other foot, forward motion, step after step after step towards my goal.
And it struck me. I had been in "Marathon training" long before I was ACTUALLY literally IN Marathon training. How? By attaining and maintaining optimal health through TSFL.
Modifying my BEHAVIOR to move towards a pre-determined GOAL despite daily fluctuations in environment, emotions, or sometimes even LOGIC was something I learned how to do consistently before I even bought my first pair of running shoes.
Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to the Marathon training. Some people say "I could never do what you did," with reference to losing 150 pounds and attaining optimal health.
But, really, they are one and the same thing. Making a fundamental decision to DO something which takes daily action and discipline, and sometimes involves setting our immediate WANTS aside for the longer term GOAL of what our daily action, over time, will achieve for us.
I suppose some would not choose to do that. But I'm so glad I did!
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