Easy Doesn't Work

Last year, I decided to lose some weight. And I did. I ended up losing about 35 lbs. Sometimes people will ask me how I did it. When I tell them that I ate a lot less than before and cut way back on processed food and nearly cut out sugar completely, I can see their expression change to one that resembles disappointment. That’s not what they want to hear. I get the feeling that most people are hoping I’ll tell them about a new pill or a shot that I took that made my butt fall off. Or that I drank a tablespoon of vinegar before every meal and my third chin simply went away. People want something easy. They want a remedy that will allow them to reach their goals without changing their lifestyle.

I’ve read a couple of articles recently that suggest that Americans are addicted to comfort. One in particular suggested that this addiction is at least partly responsible for the opioid epidemic because the modern American has no threshold for discomfort, much less pain.

What does all this mean? I have no idea. All I know is that I don’t like the idea of being thought of as soft even though I am prone to choose the path of least resistance more than I’d like to admit. Since I lost weight last year, this year I am going to try to get fit. I am going to do hard stuff to make me stronger. I am going to subject myself to discomfort. And not just for fitness sake, but partly because I want to know if I have what it takes. Can I do hard stuff? I think so and I think I’ll be better for trying.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

A couple of months ago, I had my 50th birthday and I have to be honest: it bothered me. I’m not one that has ever dreaded getting older, I just think with this milestone it hit me harder than normal about how quickly time passes. Take the last 10 years, for instance. They flew by and I didn’t get nearly all the stuff accomplished I wanted to. In fact, there’s not a lot of difference between where I am now and where I was then. And I think the hardest thing about it is the realization that I’m responsible. I’m the one that didn’t follow through on the goals. I’m the one that didn’t implement and move forward. I’m the one that chose television and social media over personal growth.

But here’s the good news: if it’s on me, then I can fix it. That is liberating. You see, if you are constantly blaming someone else for what’s going on (or not going on) in your life, then you have voluntarily surrendered control of the situation. You are a prisoner of the circumstance. But the moment you take ownership and assert the idea that not only are you the problem, but you are the ONLY solution, you are instantly empowered to steer your own destiny.

Of course, I understand that things happen outside of our control that we can’t change, but if you operate under the idea that you alone can effect change in your life, almost every situation can be improved by improving the one common denominator in all of your problems… YOU!

One of my favorite times of the year is New Years. The possibilities and potential of the upcoming year give me great optimism and right now I am very optimistic about the next ten years. Nothing changes unless something changes and I am changing attitudes and habits.

To kick it off right, I will be starting the new year with an all night ruck starting at midnight. It may be hard and uncomfortable, but most worthwhile things usually are.

Please message me with any changes you are hoping to make this new year and I will root you on.

I Don't Believe It...

What are your core beliefs about life? What principles do you know will make your life better?

There are some principles I believe to be true that will help me be successful. But when I step back and take a look at how I behave, the argument could be made that I don't really believe those things at all. If another person were to look at my life with no other information, they might conclude that I believe something totally different than what I say I believe. They might say the evidence shows that I believe sugar and social media are good for me. Or that television is a top priority and relationships are lower on the list. They might say that I believe inconsistency is the pathway to better health, financial success and spiritual connectedness.

So what does your life say about what you believe?