Inspiration Or Desperation

Katherine Mansfield once said “Make it a rule of life never to
regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of
energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only for wallowing in.” When
talking about health and fitness, this quote is especially true.

We may not be happy with the way we look, and many of us may not
even be sure how we got this way! Where did this extra 40 lbs.
come from? At what point did I start to sag? Didn’t I have
muscle there once? Who shrunk all my clothes?

All of us have a choice. We can choose to live in regret, never
taking action because we feel too sorry for ourselves. On the
other hand, we also have the choice to forget about our health
and fitness past (or lack of it) and focus on the future.

Regret is a tremendous waste of energy. I have yet to meet
anyone who can go back in time and change the past, so what’s
the point of churning it over in our mind again and again?
Worrying and regretting the past only takes our focus off the
one thing we can change: the future!

Once we’re over our regret and ready to focus on the NOW and the
FUTURE, the question becomes “Are we willing to finally make a
change?”

After all, if we don’t make a change in our health and fitness
lifestyle we’re just going to get the same old results. In other
words, “If you do what you did you’ll get what you got.”

So, are you ready to change?

Dr. Alan Zimmerman (drzimmerman.com), in a recent publication,
said that there are two primary reasons why people will change a
behavior: 1) They hurt So Much That They’re Forced To Change
(Desperation). 2) People change when they realize they can
change (Inspiration).

Perhaps you hurt so much that you’re willing to make some
changes and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Maybe it was a rude
comment from someone on the street, or perhaps your favorite
clothes don’t fit anymore. Maybe your doctor said some things to
you about your health and scared you. When we’re out of shape
and unhappy with the way we look and feel, there can be a lot of
hurt!

But listen to this, and listen carefully…..the hurt is okay if
we use it to make positive changes! The hurt is even good if it
prompts us to make the changes we need to make! Remember, we’re
not going to wallow in regret anymore! We’re going to accept
that hurt and use it to our advantage by making a positive
change!

The other reason people change is inspiration. Now doesn’t that
automatically sound like more fun? When we fully realize and
understand that we do have the power to change ourselves, it’s a
very motivating feeling! We fill up with power and energy, and
success is suddenly within our reach!

Consider the way Susan Crandell, former editor of ‘More’
magazine puts it. She says, “We all should do something scary at
least once a year, because when you pop out the other side,
intact and invigorated, the afterglow can carry you through the
other parts of your life.” (Source: drzimmerman.com)

So how do you capture the inspiration to change? Tell yourself
‘I CAN’ whenever the old doubt and regret starts to surface.
Look at yourself in the mirror – right in the eyes! – and say
out loud I CAN!

Do you know why you should do that? Because it’s true! You can
make the change and start living a healthier lifestyle! You can
start exercising regularly! You can start cutting back on the
fatty and high-calorie foods! You can change the way you look
and feel!

Sure, you’ll have some setbacks along the way…..but no
regrets, remember? Forget about the past and focus on the future!

Obviously, inspiration is much better change trigger than
desperation. But either reason to change is better than no
change at all.

Forget about the past. Focus on the future. I CAN.

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