Attitude Is Everything
Sunday night I ran my first ever 8 mile long run. I was feeling a pretty even mixture of nervousness and excitement as I started out – nervousness wondering how I would do and excitement for the feeling of accomplishment that I knew would be waiting on me at the end.
About halfway through my run I realized a very important truth about completing my run – a truth that applies to weight-loss as well as nearly any other endeavor in life:
The question isn’t: is it hard or easy. The question is: will I do it or won’t I?
The run wasn’t terribly hard, but it wasn’t especially easy either. It was hot, I was tired and I could have been justified in stopping, but I hadn’t finished what I started until I passed that 8 mile mark.
To reach my goal, I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Consistency equals results. Barring any unforeseen injuries, attitude is 90% of the game.
Do or do not, there is no try.
photo by eastern washington universtiy on flickr
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
I couldn't agree with you more! Just keep going. I have and injury. I have not been able to exercise since February. This could have been a HUGE disaster for my weight loss efforts. Sure- I have had my moments of feeling sorry for myself. At times I thought I had the BEST excuse to eat whatever I wanted. After all… poor me. Then I would snap myself out of my old patterns of how I thought and devised a plan so that I would not gain weight while I was not allowed to exercise. In fact I have actually lost weight. Thank you for being so inspirational to me. I often hear your voice in my head saying "there is no try!!"
Wow! 8 miles!! Good for you!!
You are so right about attitude. Once you have the "I can" instead of "I can't" attitude, You really start to see results! Thank you for encouraging so many to be motivated!
Truly, I couldn't agree more. Attitude will make the difference between trying and succeeding, IMHO.
That is an awesome story of determination to lose weight while injured and
unable to exercise. Way to go! That's proof to me that, if you have the
right attitude and are deteremined to be successful, you will be. Great job!
Thanks, Sandy!
Exactly.
Wow, Jill, that's great! That kind of determination is inspirational to others too!
Thanks Noodle! I love your name by the way! 🙂
Thanks! My husband has called me that for years! LOL!
well done! 8 miles is huge. I love Yoda's saying. I was listening to Fred Alan Wolfe talking about the ridiculousness of the word 'try',he said how silly it was to say you will 'try to come to the party' or whatever, when in reality it is the same as saying you don't really want to but are too scared to admit it. Guess that is the same with self motivation.
That's very true. In one of the Biggest Loser books I read, they were
talking about someone who came to the ranch to help the contestants do a
challenge (some kind of cable across a canyon, if I remember correctly). One
of the contestants, Phillip, told the guy he would try to complete the
challenge. The guy replied, "Trying it quitting with honor." Basically, it's
giving yourself a way out, which brings us right back to "do or do not."