Gentle Reader,
Sheets of ice and snow have been sliding off the roof all day. The dogs don’t like it. They think someone is attempting to break into their cozy little cocoon filled with warm blankets, delicious treats and belly rubs. The crack and the crash moves them to frantic barking, but they don’t know where to direct it, so they just run in circles while I am by turns amused and annoyed by their noise.
It’s a brand-new year and a brand-new word. Kate says: motivate.
Go.
I’ve got to be honest: I adore junk food, I hate exercise and getting up early makes me angry. While I don’t mind eating a nice salad or black bean burger and I don’t dislike the way I feel after a good workout session, sweat dripping and endorphins flying (there’s nothing good to say about getting up before the sun), I am gluttonous and lazy.
Despite the lifestyle changes I’ve been forced into over the last few years, fundamentally, in the core of myself, I want to eat greasy pizza and binge-watch Netflix all day.
We assume that, in a magical moment of transformation, accompanied by an epic score written by John Williams, we’ll come to love the things that we have to do in order to take care of the bodies that God gave us. Perhaps that’s true for some, but it certainly hasn’t been true for me. I don’t believe that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. I don’t care about the number on the tag inside my jeans. I have been known to mutter impolite words while doing triceps push-ups.
Sometimes the thing that motivates is more primal, more simple. For me, it’s this: I do what I do because I want to stave off cancer and organ transplant for as long as possible.
Maybe fitness isn’t your issue. Maybe you’re one of those people who bounds out of bed in the morning, fresh-faced and ready for a 5-mile run or some weightlifting. (Are you human)? Instead, your struggle is in studying Scripture consistently. Or quitting smoking. Or reckless spending. Or lying. There are as many hurdles as there are humans.
Four days into the new year, now is the time to really think about why you want to fight the battle, why you want to change the thing. What are you pursuing? What’s the goal? Don’t assume that what works for someone else is going to work for you. Don’t think that if you do all the steps that some successful self-help seller is peddling that everything will be rainbows and unicorns.
Find your own motivation.
Stop.
Taking a page out of Andrew’s book tonight and sharing this beautiful song that I have loved since I was a teenager. I feel like I could take on an army every time I listen to it.
for me it’s not the pizza… is the bag of sunflower seeds and the log of rolos. Those draw me in as I want to sit and chill writing on my laptop. Good thing God calls us to something more eh?
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Rolos! I haven’t had those in a long time. Yum!
God does call us to something more. This life of faith is one of discipline, to be sure. I am thankful that in the midst of that discipline, He blesses us with moments of sheer delight.
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Feel so GOOD that you love Man of la Mancha!
I used to be one of those “hey it’s 3 am lets go RUNNING!” people. No, I’m not human. Mother-in-Law pegged me as a Klingon.
I’d write more; not up to it.
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I can see the Klingon in you. I have been told that I’m Vulcan-like. Does that mean our friendship crosses enemy lines? I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t know my “Star Trek” well enough to remember right now.
Tilting at windmills with you, brother.
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So true, motivation has to be much deeper than just our feelings. A lot of the time I don’t feel like eating healthily or doing the things I know I should, but keeping the long-term goal in mind definitely helps. I love the song too!
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Something my counselor taught me that I come back to over and over again: the necessity of operating out of what I know, not out of what I feel. Granted, I usually take this too far and wind up disconnected from my emotions, but there’s a lot of truth in that.
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I’m so with you friend.
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Always nice to know that others are traveling the road with me. 🙂
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Oh yes… I learned to love working out… until it felt like it wasn’t working for me (ahem… read:outward obvious pay-offs!)… and then I forgot how to want to! I’m working on it though because more than any number on a scale or tag, I just want to feel strong and healthy again!
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Our dear friend Amy uses this wonderful phrase often: non-scale victory. She is so good at teaching others how to view the fitness journey as just that, a journey. None of us gets it right every single time. Sometimes the number on the scale doesn’t budge for weeks. But if we’re sticking with it, then that’s victory!
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Marie, the combination of your words and this beautiful song provided hearty sustenance. Thank you.
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I’m glad this blessed you, sister!
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Well THAT was just lovely! Thank you! I definitely have been working on keeping my why in my face. It is funny in your comments, I really felt blessed by what you shared from your counselor ” the necessity of operating out of what I know, not out of what I feel.”
That is where I want to hang my hat.
Visiting from #68
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It’s such good advice. Glad you stopped by!
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I understand that not wanting to get out of bed in the morning feeling. I’ve been tense in my muscles, due to the impending flu I suppose. I hope you keep motivating yourself with the word of God!
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I’m so sorry you haven’t been feeling well! I pray that you are able to rest and recover quickly.
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Oh, I’m with you! I may write about exercise and run marathons and get out of bed early to fit all the things in, but secretly, I wish I could only exercise at the pace of birdwatching (which is pretty slow 😉 ), and eat chocolate lava cake for supper every night. I do what I do because I want to stave off diabetes (I had gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy–never want to have the permanent version!).
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