Do you find yourself using excuses to get in the way of what you really want? I do. My excuses end up being thoughts that I think over and over, which end up creating results that are less than desirable.
Lately, this is one that isn’t helpful and is an invitation for all kinds of thoughts that end up not serving me very well. Here it is…
“I WILL WORRY ABOUT IT LATER.”
When we were getting ready to move this past summer, I found myself feeling stressed and busy! Every morning as my feet hit the floor taking care of myself went on the back burner. I didn’t stick to my protocol for eating. Actually, what happened was, I didn’t CHOOSE to stick to my protocol for eating. I told myself, “I don’t have time to worry about this now. I WILL WORRY ABOUT IT LATER.”
The funny thing is, when I am eating to plan, I don’t ever find myself “WORRYING” at all. I find that the feelings I usually have are “DISCIPLINED,” “EXCITED,” and “COMMITTED.,”
Worry wasn’t even part of the equation and yet when I added it to the mix by “doing” later, I invited all kinds of thoughts and feelings that ended up being indulgent. “Worrying about it later” turned into:
“I’m going to eat whatever I want.”
“Eating is social. I want to feel part of the crowd.”
“York Peppermint Patties are irresistible.”
“I wonder what else I can eat that is gluten-free (like SCOTTIE DOGS! Yum!)”
“I’ll exercise when it’s warm outside. My bed is too toasty and warm to get out of bed early.”
I thought this would change after Christmas. Did I think a magic fairy would show up and sprinkle dust to get me back on track?
“Earth to Sue: There is no magic fairy!”
I AM the magic fairy that gets to create intentional thoughts that serve me. I get to create thoughts that generate the feelings that drive my actions that create my results. It’s like a thought train. A formula that works and I have ignored it. Now, don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a problem. It’s just nice to be able to recognize what’s going on so I can change it.
And the funny thing is, as I lived my new normal, which was “worrying about it later,” I ended up inadvertently enrolling my husband in my new approach, without even knowing it.
Lately, I have been finding strategically placed bags of Scottie Dogs and York Peppermint Patties all around the house. On my pillow. On my keyboard. In the fridge. In my drawers. In my jewelry box. At first, I thought this was sweet and I felt loved. Now I am starting to get frustrated and even annoyed.
I asked him about it this morning. He told me that he was showing me that he LOOOOOVED me! Yay!
I shared that I was finding it frustrating and that the thought I was having wasn’t “He LOVES ME,” but rather “HE’S TRYING TO FATTEN ME UP!” He was shocked. This was not his intention.
I reminded him that he used to leave me little post-it notes around the house, which I have always loved. I like to hang on to them forever and I don’t have to EAT them. He remembered and agreed to use post-it notes again! And I agreed with myself to be responsible and enroll MYSELF in my dreams. The new thought I am choosing to think is,
“I’m looking for ways to eat according to my plan.”
“I can take time to make a plan for myself and follow through.”
“I feel better when I am eating whole, naturally occurring foods.”
“Flour and sugar are not my things.”
One thing I’ve learned along my journey of life is that I don’t have to be reasonable in creating and living the life that I want. In fact, being unreasonable is a lot more challenging and fun. Living a life that others might think is improbable, impractical, and unpredictable is actually available to me and to all of us. All it takes is creating a foundation of belief that is supported by thoughts that we intentionally think over and over again. When our brains contribute thoughts that aren’t aligned with who we want to be, that’s when we have the opportunity to step back and take a look at what our brains are telling us and manage our thinking to get us the results that we want.
I’ve learned how to do this and I can help you to do it, too.
It also helps when I know that God has our backs and that he whispers helpful hints to keep us on track. He helps us to THINK STRONG. It is the bomb to have tools to know how to make this happen.
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