Change is a part of life that we can’t really avoid. Things change on a constant basis, including the weather. I can’t believe we were hit with two ice events in 6 days here in southeast Texas.
I was cooped up in the house for a couple of days which really gave me a chance to think about the message I want to send out to the world. Things changed for us a when we decided to lose the weight, our appearance changed, our life changed, our activities changed and all of the sudden people are asking us to speak about our journey. This has been the hardest part of the journey in my opinion because to me we just lost weight…well that’s what I thought. But my opinion has really changed too. I’ve been trying to hone in on my message and here are a couple of things I would like to highlight.
Willie and I in April 2011
Willie and I: January 2014
1. Change is hard, but it’s doable. It’s hard to break out of old patterns to create new ones but hard doesn’t mean impossible! It can be done by planning, trying new things and finding the confidence to venture out into somthing new.
2. Commit to the change. Saying you want to change and actually doing it are two different ball games. To commit you have to do it every day. At some points, it will consume you and some people may not understand. People are afraid of what they don’t know, and you might encounter this with the people you surround yourself with in life. Committment is just practice for the big time and if you keep practicing you’ll get better at it.
3. Be true to yourself. If drinking green smoothies isn’t something that you like, then don’t drink them because everyone else is doing that. You have to do what works for you! Willie never ate a salad until a year into the journey because he tastes finally changed. He hated lettuce and refused to eat them. He still lost weight. Healthy eating doesn’t always mean a salad. Remember, the one thing you can control in life is yourself. You can control your attitude, your actions, your thoughts…but it’s up to you to do that!
4. Have a positive attitude. Things aren’t always going to go the way we want them to, but that doesn’t mean you should let that defeat you. There is a positive in every situation and you may have to look very hard to find it sometimes, but it’s always there. When the negative talk starts to creep in, shut it down with a positive side. Believe me, this will take you a long way! Remember there are always two sides to every situation so always try to pick the right side and move forward.
5. Most importantly, remember tomorrow is a new day. It’s a time to pick up and move forward. The mistakes/problems/troubles of the day before can be left in the past so that you can begin anew. I know, easier said than done, but sometimes we must leave the past in the past to have a brighter future. We can’t control what happened yesterday because it already happen. You can make today brighter because YOU ARE LIVING IT RIGHT NOW!
Yes, these things can apply to anything you want to achieve in life. For us, it started out as weight loss, turned into a healthy lifestyle which opened our eyes to so much more. As you know, I love to run and be active; Willie likes to run and cook! Those are the things that excite us. Those things are our rewards for a job well done! It will be different for everyone. Just remember, the journey may start off at one place and take you somewhere totally different. The most important thing is to take the steps and enjoy the right. Embarking on the unknown and making a change can lead to great things! Don’t be afraid!
These are just some things I’m working on for our speaking series this year and I wanted to share. I hope that people will take these words and it helps at least one person. I’m learning every day myself and these are important steps in my life.
With this being said, what is one positive thing that happened to you today?
