Why is being positive so hard?

The first SG Challenge of 2017 is now a thing of the past...
How do YOU intend to stay motivated in order to continue along a healthy path?
Not easy once the daily tasks have been "removed"
and the proclivity to slip back into old habits raises its ugly head.
Thinking positively about your journey going forward
is possibly not as simple as it seems.
Individual goal setting might be an option...
Or perhaps revisiting the tasks in the 30 Day Healthy Habit Challenge
that you were unable to complete could be a way to continue on a positive path?
Or maybe, just waking up and saying;
"I will be the best me I can be today"
will suffice?

I suppose that this question was sparked by the recent death of rugby legend,
Joost v d Westhuizen...one of the best rugby players that the world has,
 or possibly will, ever witness.
This image is how we would like to remember him...
ball under his arm and powering his way down the field.
But were there moments when he doubted his ability?
I am certain that there were.
However that did not stop him from throwing himself at the legs of Jomo Lomu,
and bringing him to the ground?
I bet there were "nay -sayers" in the stands that day
that did not believe that he would bring the big New Zealander down.
But Joost could not hear those thoughts...
and he accomplished his task!
It was that dedication and positive attitude that would stand him in good stead.
And he certainly had demons to deal with.
Did he allow them to get the better of him?
Certainly not on the rugby field.
But then tragedy struck,
and this healthy, fit giant was struck an unkind blow...
And he was diagnosed with MND...

But did he allow it to get the better of him? Did he take to his bed

and go "Oh woe is me"?

We the general public might never know the answer to that.

What we do know is what we saw when he was in public...

And this was how we saw him in the days before his death.

He used his MND to set up clinics and to bring attention to the disease.

Even as his body wasted away and he was unable to care for himself,

his mind remained alive and as sharp as his prowess on the field was.

Look at his eyes in this picture,

they are alive and as bright as ever.

And if the expression,

"the eyes are the windows to your soul",

then his soul was VERY present.

This tribute to him sung by his niece says it all.

"Mr. Number 9"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd3XdVyciik

We are constantly assailed by negative thoughts...
Our own as well as those laid upon us by people who believe that their input is pertinent.
WHY?
Why do we not give ourselves credit for who we are and what we have accomplished?
Small goals that we have achieved are exactly that, ACHIEVEMENTS!
No one can take that away from us...or can they?
Is it us that give them permission to hurt us by their words or deeds?
If you ask for an opinion or a comment and the response is not what you were expecting,
who is responsible for YOUR feelings?
Only YOU...
Our initial response might be defensive,
but take a moment...breathe...consider your reaction...
THEN respond.
You might be amazed at what clarity that moment might bring you.
I used to react immediately to emails,
often not reading them correctly,
or seeing "hidden" meanings or agendas where there were none.
Now, even if an 'urgent' response is required,
I take time to re-read and try to ascertain what was actually being written.
And more importantly, why...

YOU ARE!

And don't let anyone take that away from you.

You are your own being, and your internal thoughts and actions can be controlled...

But only by YOU.

Perhaps one of the Healthy Habits Challenge tasks could be dealing with negative comments?

I see them posted on Facebook all the time,

but in 2017 I have decided NOT to buy into that mind set.

I will remove comments that offend, I will not respond to statements 

often made without any research.

And more importantly I will try to promote an atmosphere of positiveness

in those who surround me.

Not always easy, as every individual is exactly that...an individual.

Each of us is dealing with our own problems and demons.

Being present and being aware are the key attributes that I will engage

in order to (possibly) make MY world a better space.

Do YOU have a piece of music that makes YOU happy?

One that helps you ease the "pain" of everyday living?

This is mine...

"Piano man", by Billy Joel.

Even though I have insisted that it be played at my funeral,

it still makes me happy every time I listen to it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnRJz5MafYI

And here I am...

in a better space that I was a year ago, 

and more importantly,

both feet firmly placed on the ladder to continued health

Yes I can!

And YOU can too.

The age old question

"How do you eat an elephant"..."one piece at a time"...

applies to the tasks set in this challenge as well.

Need to do 50 push-ups?

5 sets of 10 sounds easier to achieve.

And a tip...

In the final set count backwards, 10 down to 1,

psychologically it makes it seem that there are less to do. 

This is my commitment to myself,

and by extension to my family as well.

There will be Burpees and there will be days that I don't feel like training

or eating clean...

but I will persevere!

From A to I...FAT to FIT.

Could I have a round of applause please?

Not only for me, but for all those who have chosen 

to re-invent themselves in a healthy manner

There are nine letters between "A" 

 and "I"

And by doing so, 

YOU change FAT....

to FIT...

A= Acceptance:

Accept that you need to change. 

Not necessarily to please someone else,

but to make yourself happy.

We all have "those" fat photos...

The ones that show us how we really looked, 

even though we did not want to admit it to ourselves.

I was one of those...

Fat was a synonym for successful...

or so I thought!

Eventually, when none of the clothes in my cupboard fitted me,

 I was ready to accept...

Oh, and a major physical that showed some possible

life-threatening issues.

B= Beginnings:

We all have to start somewhere, don't we?

Any journey begins with the first step.

So why are we so keen to start "...on Monday..."

Why not start immediately?

Are you eating something unhealthy as you read this?

PUT IT DOWN or, better yet,

THROW IT AWAY.

There is no better time to start than right now...

C= Commitment:

How committed are you?

10%? 25%, 50%, 75%

100%?

Remember, you will only get out what you put in.

Your journey is an individual one.

You are in total control...

and failure or success is in your hands.

D= Determination:

Are you determined to succeed?

What are you prepared to sacrifice?

Be resolute in your decision,as there will be haters.

People will be derisive and will test your fortitude and resilience constantly.

Why?

Because it is innate part of human nature to break down 

instead of uplift.

E= Effort:

Doing one push-up does require effort,

if you have never done one before.

That being said, if you have done one a day for a week,

it is time to move it up a notch. 

But effort might not be all physical...

It could be putting gym/running kit out

in order to make certain that you train.

It could be food prep, which can be time consuming

But more importantly, if you have been sedentary for a long time,

the mere act of thinking about eating correctly/ exercising

could be perceived as an effort.

So the choice is yours...

and it always is!

F= Failure:

Yes, I wrote the "F" word!

Why? 

Because failure causes us to focus...

The Chinese have a proverb that states;

"In every crisis there is opportunity"

Substitute the word "failure" for "crisis"

and you will realize what I mean.

We can never succeed 100%,

we stumble, we fall on the road to our goals.

But...do we perceive these as failures

or an opportunity to reassess our end game.

Perhaps we set our original targets to high...

Is wanting to lose 5kg in a week realistic?

Probably not without starving yourself.

But we see it as a failure when we only lose 1kg.

Think about that...1kg is more than you lost the week before...

Embrace your failures, learn from them and move forward.

G= Gratitude:

Since starting out on this journey 

I have become grateful for SO many small things.

Waking up early to go and train or run

Regaining my self confidence that I lost as I gained kg's

My wife and daughter, who each have taught me different things about myself

This community, for being who and what they are.

The list could go on indefinitely...

and I am certain that if we look inwards,

we will discover our own traits to be grateful for.

H= Healthy habits:

Are what will get each and everyone of us

to a place in our lives that we can be proud of.

Remember that is order to create a habit,either good or bad

takes 21 consecutive days of application.

Note the use of the word "consecutive",

miss a day and you return to Day 1,

much like a game of snakes and ladders.

The first week can be hard as your body fights to maintain the status quo.

But "rage against the machine" and you WILL be the winner.  

I= Inspiration:

Find it wherever you can.

Motivational books, inspirational quotations

mentors, trainers and yes...even the Internet!

But we within SG do not have to look too far,

we have each other...constantly! 

And that is a good thing!

Even though I did not have to lose an enormousness amount of weight,

the stories that I read and the pictures that I see of people within the SG community

who have lost almost as much weight as I weigh inspire me beyond words.

And here I am...

in a better space that I was a year ago, 

and more importantly,

both feet firmly placed on the ladder to continued health

Yes I can!

And YOU can too.

The age old question

"How do you eat an elephant"..."one piece at a time"...

applies to the tasks set in this challenge as well.

Need to do 50 push-ups?

5 sets of 10 sounds easier to achieve.

And a tip...

In the final set count backwards, 10 down to 1,

psychologically it makes it seem that there are less to do. 

This is my commitment to myself,
and by extension to my family as well.

There will be Burpees and there will be days that I don't feel like training

or eating clean...
but I will persevere!