Let’s start with a prayer, how motivational! No, I am not the religious type. I do believe in GOD and power well beyond us.
However, this prayer is said every day at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. I look at it as more of a guideline to life and well being rather than a prayer to GOD.
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.
The thing is, this is the Serenity Prayer which you probably heard associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, but it has been a common theme in religion throughout the centuries. Many philosophies have this theme because it helps us stay sane as humans. Control what you can and accept what you can’t control.
What is out of your control? Do you really know? Do you understand? Do you realize what you can control if you just put some time and effort into it?
This can be taken to extremes. Did you ever think about what you can and can’t control? Maybe, you have more control than you would like to admit.
Maybe, just maybe, you’re lazy. Maybe you have different priorities. Maybe, just maybe, you don’t care about some things that you should.
Maybe you don’t know who you are. Maybe you think you are someone who doesn’t eat right or work out.
Maybe you’ve already decided you will die young because it “runs” in the family.
Maybe you think you can’t do it. Maybe it’s hard work and it’s just not worth the effort.
I have heard all these excuses. They all hold up until someone has a heart attack or a stroke and they are in the hospital. Then, you know what, they change.
Not always forever, but for a few years, they suddenly are motivated to eat right and exercise because their life literally depends on it.
There is a saying, and I don’t know who to give credit to, but it goes like this. “When you have your health, you want everything, when you don’t, you want one thing.”
Spoiler alert, that one thing is your health.
Oh, life is a pain in the ass until you almost die, then it is so precious. It means you get to do something, anything, for one more day, week, month, maybe even years.
Unfortunately, when you’re living it every day you find other things to worry about. Everything is fine until it isn’t. Then, it’s too late.
There are always exceptions!
Don’t get me wrong, some of us get something that is hereditary or out of our control. It happens. I am not saying that all health issues are in your control, but let’s be honest, most of you have more control than you think.
Many of you are just lazy!
I know, the truth hurts, but you have to face this demon before you’re dead.
Sometimes you’re too late. You can wish all you want, but you can’t change the past, can you?
It’s time to look at what you can control. Let’s clarify to make sure you’re healthy.
- Are you in a wheelchair?
- Are you dying of an incurable disease?
- Are you bedridden?
- Do you have a birth defect preventing you from doing any activities?
Even if you said yes to any of the above, let me tell you something.
People in wheelchairs have basketball leagues, don’t they?
Many people with incurable diseases continue to live and appreciate life way more than most of us.
If someone is bedridden, they would give anything to exercise just once more, wouldn’t they?
Most people with birth defects have overcome them, haven’t they? In fact, they found workarounds and that made them stronger.
So tell me again, what is your excuse?
The best time to change was 10 years ago, the second-best time is now!
What if, with all this modern medicine, they can revive you. You will live. What if suddenly you lived, but as half the person you are now? What if you lost your health or a big chunk of it?
If you look in the mirror, you may not be living the way you want today. You’ve just accepted the fact you can’t do more.
Excuses, aren’t they precious? People say things like this;
- I’m fat and there’s nothing I can do about it.
- I am tired all the time, what else can I do?
- I have no time, it’s all I can do to do my job.
- I’m too tired at night, I don’t have the energy to do anything else.
- I can’t do that, but they can because he/she is healthy and I’m not.
Here’s what I see, most people cop-out. They never start, try, or even make a plan. They take the serenity prayer to the extreme. Meaning they quit before they begin because they think that controlling their health is out of their control.
Sometimes it is, but did you even try?
Could you imagine if, throughout history, people just gave up? Oh, Hitler and Japan are taking over the world, why don’t we just lay down and let them do it. Oh, horses are good enough, we don’t need automobiles. We have landlines, who needs a wireless connection for anything? We have an abacus, who needs a laptop or personal computer.
Let’s just give the F*** up! Don’t even try, just sit there and whine like a little baby!
Chances are if you’re reading this, then you want to build healthy habits. That’s the goal, right? Build great habits that will set you on a course for success. Whatever that one thing is that you have chosen to be successful in, this is the path to get there.
It helps to build one good habit. I talk about health, but if you can build that good habit, then you have a foundation for more good habits. You begin to think that you are a healthy person. Someone who can build good habits and live like a healthy person.
One of the key factors is your mindset. Sure, you hear that all the time, but think about this. Who are you? Are you someone who is healthy? If not, why not?
I will talk about how I started with exercise. I worked out. I enjoyed it and I saw results, eventually. I felt better and I looked better. I got the results I wanted. However, I had to work at it and continue to do it. I won’t quit today unless I get hurt or something like that happens. I do what I can to maintain.
There are several steps to maintaining good health. It becomes a lifestyle, one that can be passed down to your kids.
We all fall off the wagon when tempted. That’s OK, as long as we continue getting back on the wagon and following the path. As long as we remember who we are.
This can be applied to almost anything. I was fat and unhealthy at one time. What’s worse, I was in denial, thinking that I was healthy and OK. Then I looked in the mirror and saw what I really was, a fat middle-aged guy with man boobs. I looked disgusting, literally. Pale white, pasty, fat, balding, with man boobs. I knew I had to change. I talked about it farther down, but that was a trigger to me. For so many reasons. It wasn’t who I wanted to be, but it’s who I became. I didn’t even know it. It just happened one day. I looked up and there was a fat guy living in my body.
I got lucky because I realized it before my health went to shit. Not everyone gets that opportunity. But, I learned by looking at friends that had heart attacks. That is a game-changer. In an instant, your life is almost sucked away and then you change or you die.
Some people still choose death. They refuse to change, so they die. It’s not fair to their families, but they don’t care. They are so selfish that they would rather just die. How sad.
I did some research and it seems that for the most part, people only work out if they want to. Sure, we have contracts to get people started, but the thing is they will only stick with it if they enjoy it. The motivation, in the beginning, can tell the person if they like doing it.
I am going to have you ask yourself some tough questions. It will be a recurring theme. It’s there because you need to know yourself.
- Who are you?
- Are you in control?
- Can you do more?
- Are you a quitter?