Lost and Finding Joy

A part of me wants to lose this excess weight. A part of me wants to be physically fit. A part of me wants to go hiking or jogging and to be out in nature. A part of me wants to be disciplined each day and to help others. BUT…another part of me just wants to eat crap food (that tastes good) while sitting in front of the television watching my favorite television shows; or picking up my phone to check out what everyone is doing on social media.

You probably know what I’m talking about. Maybe you’ve dealt with the same types of struggles. I’ve often wondered why we are wired this way. Why do we give into the lazy, unmotivated part of us that leads us down a path we really don’t want to be on… overweight, unmotivated, wasting too much time not doing the things the other part of us wants to do.

A million dollar question is: Why do we promise ourselves that tomorrow will be different only to wake up and eat the same crap food and waste our free time?

It’s like we have 3 parts of us.

We have our minds where we can think about losing the weight, being disciplined, and doing that thing we’ve been wanting to do to help others.

Then we have our bodies that are creatures of habit, wired to do the same thing day in and day out. When we get outside of the habits we’ve created for ourselves, our body feels very uncomfortable and wants us just to go back to doing whatever we’ve been doing – good or bad.

Finally we have our spirits that want us to live life and fulfill a purpose. That’s the part of us that wants to be disciplined and to help others. That’s the part of us that also wants to have fun and live a little – or a lot (depends on how you look at it).

All three parts of us are important. When we can get each part of us on the same page, or in harmony, we feel joy, peace, and like we are on the right track, fulfilling our purpose for being here.

So how do we get our mind, body, and spirit all on the same page? It’s simple, but not necessarily easy. Losing weight is simple. Eat less and exercise more. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. Why? Because of the struggle between the three parts of us. It’s NOT hard when we recognize what is happening.

Once we decide to observe what we are doing, all it takes is persistence and being willing to fail. Every time you think you’ve failed, you simply try again. That’s why we’ve all heard the saying, “Never give up.” We don’t fail until we stop trying.

You may have also heard: “The best time to start anything new is NOW.” If we put it off, it gives our body and mind time to talk us out of it. We get distracted and dissuaded out of doing anything new.

Since the only time to begin a better habit is now; I’ve decided I’m starting now.

So, I may have gained weight. I may have been lazier than I should’ve been, UP UNTIL NOW. Today, I’m deciding to take another step. I’m trying again. I’m eating healthy food today. I’m leaving the television off and I am riding my bike. It may not sound like much, but it’s a start. It’s the only way to do anything new. I’ve heard it said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Here I go again, taking a step to being a healthier, more disciplined, me.

Every day is a gift and every day is a choice. Life is simply a series of daily choices.

Today I choose to eat better, exercise, and to share my journey with all of you. May you also choose something new today. Something your spirit has been poking at you to do. Let that part of you win today over your mind and your body. When we do this enough times (persistence), it will be our new habit. Our minds and bodies will fall right in line with our spirit. The three parts of us will be in harmony and we will feel more joy, peace, and even purpose.

It begins now. There is no better time than now.