Michael Jackson said it best when he sang, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways and no message could have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change”. We can’t have positive change until we take a good look at ourselves and decide we want change. I can take all the advice in the world but if I don’t apply it to my life I will never have what I want. If I don’t apply working out and eating healthy I will never achieve my fitness goals.
Have you ever felt stuck like a car in mud? Your wheels just keep spinning and spinning but you’re not moving. You want so badly to move forward but can’t seem to get out of the same routine and rut. I know I have and I’m here to encourage you to push harder to get out of the mud! If you want something you’ve never had you have to do something you’ve never done. I stayed in a job I hated for five years until I finally had the courage to save up money, attend a police academy, and finish school full-time. I took a huge risk but I realized taking the risk felt better than staying stuck somewhere I was miserable at. I disliked my tiny non-muscular body for years until I finally decided to join a gym. I started lifting weights and little by little started to feel better about myself. The compliments I received also helped me to keep going and pushed me to do better.
There have been times where I heard encouraging words and great advice as I am giving you but I didn’t apply it to my life. It’s like when you wake up in the morning before you go to work and look in the mirror. You think oh I really need to shower, put some make-up on, brush my hair, and brush my teeth. It’s something you know you need to do and most of us do just that. However, not taking great advice or achieving your full potential is like looking in the mirror, seeing how awful you look and walking out the door. Others may say to you did you forget to brush your hair? Feeling sick today? I get that comment a lot when I don’t wear mascara. The joys of make-up application! My point is you wouldn’t leave the house most of the time without getting yourself presentable.
Why is it that some of us wake up every day in a rut, an ugly nasty mood, or have negative self-defeating thoughts? And walk out the door that way. Why is it that we know we need to make positive changes and get to the gym and eat healthier yet we avoid doing it? Is it easier for us to just keep living in our negativity bubble and hoping that a miracle will occur? I’m here to tell you that positive changes don’t happen without action! Just like your teeth won’t get brushed, hair won’t get combed, and make-up will not be put on every day without action! If you’re a guy reading this, then scratch the make-up part off there unless that’s your thing. My point is you can’t stay in the business of doing nothing with your life. Trust me that business will go bankrupt very quickly! Make it a priority to get your priorities straight and continue pushing and learning.
There was about a month straight where I didn’t feel like going to the gym anymore or eating healthy. This affected many things in my life which included my mood. I felt lazy, useless, and I was cranky. Often when we do not feel good about ourselves it shows in our behavior and we often take it out on others. I noticed I was snappier with my parents and my friends. Then I had a wakeup call one day and one of my friends told me I was not acting like myself at all. I realized she was right and this person I allowed myself to become was neither who I was nor who I was meant to be. I immediately got myself back on track and started going to the gym again, eating healthier, thinking positively, and writing my encouraging blog posts. I encourage you to fight back against your bad habits, self-defeating thoughts, and face yourself in the mirror. Don’t just walk away without doing anything but create who you want to be. Life is short, so don’t spend it miserable and hoping things were different.
Life is a journey not a destination and we often forget that. You’ll never just wake up with the perfect body without continually eating healthy, working out, and making good lifestyle decisions. A healthy lifestyle is just that a lifestyle that you live day in and day out. Sure I have my cheat days every once in a while and I probably have more cheat days than most people. If you completely deprive yourself of food you love you will end up eating everything and anything. Trust me, I did it before with a juice fast! At the time I thought it was a great idea but I finally got to the point where I was starving and ate everything in sight and then some. Something that has always helped me achieve my goals has been asking my friends and close family members what they admire and like about me the most. Often we are our hardest critics on ourselves and other people can help us rise to our potential.
So do me a favor today, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are starting with the man in the mirror asking him or her to change their ways. I hope that my message couldn’t be any clearer and you won’t go another day feeling sorry for yourself, helpless, depressed, or defeated. As usual, if you need any encouragement check out my articles, showcase page, and blog. Keep being fabulous and keep pushing towards your goals!
