Random thoughts to ponder...

The following is a list of quotes from a book by Dr. Robert Anthony called Think Big. 

• If you don't start, it's certain you won't arrive. 
• The biggest risk in life is not risking. 
• Excuses are your lack of faith in your own power. 
• There are no victims, only volunteers.
• Worry comes from the belief you are powerless.
• Hoping and Wishing are excuses for not Doing.
• The rewards in life go to those who are willing to give up the past.
• If you don't change your beliefs, your life will look like this forever. Is that good news?
• The best way to predict your future is to create it.
• If you want to know what your true beliefs are, take a look at your actions.
• Wishing is a goal without energy behind it.
• It's impossible to be depressed when you take action.
• Consciously or unconsciously, you always get what you expect

I just thought these were all so true and relevant in so many ways to my clients who are trying to get healthier, lose weight or achieve any personal goal. I think as human beings our brains tend to think in the extremes, and I know for myself, I have to keep bringing my brain back to the middle road. For instance, my personal trainer and friend Pete Mattis told me I have to cut out all fried food this week. And even though the goal was this week, my brain started freaking out and I started thinking that I would never be able to have another donut or taco chip or funnel cake for the rest of my life. WAIT!!!! But, on my way home from the gym I started to think about the goal rationally- I know, concept. I realized that by saying no fried foods this week, didn't mean that the next time I am at a carnival, I couldn't share a funnel cake with the kids. So, I am 2/3 of the way through the week and although I did have a few chips and salsa at a BBQ yesterday, that was the only fried food I have had. I began to tell myself, if I can choose a non-fried food item at that meal I will. 

We get so focused on the "how" - how will I ever lose weight, how will I ever reach my goal that we sometimes become too paralyzed to start. Hoping and wishing is like thinking that if you read the latest diet book you will finally lose weight, you have to do more than read the book. Funny how we think we can't predict the future, but we really can by taking action today. This works both ways: If we start creating our goals today we can't possibly be in the same spot tomorrow, and if we keep doing what we have always done, we will keep getting what we have always gotten.

Feel free to post your own ways of extreme thinking!