Thoughts for Thursday: Continuing with the positive self talk

I was just reading a story from Mike Kramer, Staff Writer at Spark People. He posts some amazingly inspiring, motivating articles, and most aren't about health, fitness or weight loss. They focus on the strength, beauty and power of the human spirit. This article in particular brought me to tears.

It's about the struggles of Wei Jingsheng who was a political prisoner in communist China for years for having the audacity to stand up for what was RIGHT, not what was popular.

While this story may seem out of place on a site dedicated to helping people lead healthy lifestyles, this story embodies that spirit with the simple, yet powerful quote:

"There is power and courage inside each one of us, waiting for an excuse to escape."

You see, for some of us, embarking on a healthy lifestyle IS like being a political prisoner. You may be in a home environment that is filled with foods and devices designed to save you time, to be convenient, to be fast and efficient.

Or You may be surrounded by people who want to help you, who love you, who want to make life "easier" for you by bringing you food to comfort your emotions, but do nothing to comfort your body.

Or those people may say things - little or big things, seemingly helpful but deeply hurtful - to undermine your confidence, to cause you to doubt your own abilities to achieve a goal. Any goal. Big or small.

Convenient. Easy. Doubt.

All things designed to keep you exactly where you are, right now, and never let you move beyond it.

You see, when you make a decision to do something different, to grow, to change, even a little bit, the tiny seed of greatness that's been buried under years - decades even - of muck and hurt and doubt begins to stir.

Now you have to make a choice: Continue on - keep watering that seed until it blooms into the beautiful flower it's meant to be. Or stop watering the seed, pack some more soil on top of it, and continue on your current path.

The good thing (or bad, depending on your perspective) is, if you choose the latter, everything will stay the same. Everything.

If you choose to keep watering that seed, allowing the dreams and goals within you to grow and flourish, allow the WHY-volution within you to break free, you will be taking the road less traveled. It's never an easy path, or a convenient one, and generally not a popular one. In fact you may feel like you're being exiled by everyone around you, trapped in your own deserted island with a population of you. But remember it is the RIGHT path for YOU to be on NOW.

You are the King/Queen of that island - own it and stand proud!

There will be times you don't think you can make it, but remember: "There is power and courage inside each one of us, waiting for an excuse to escape."

Not just in some of us, or in everyone else but you... it's in EACH of us!

You are powerful!

You are courageous!

You can do it!

I believe in you!!!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I leave you with this awesome email I received from Jonathon Roche this morning:

Don't Listen to the Doubters!
"If we listen to the family members, friends, neighbors and co-workers who doubt us, then we will never accomplish anything.

"Many times these people are not trying to drag us down, but are dealing with their own insecurities. So when you talk about walking your first 5K or losing 30 pounds, people sometimes get uncomfortable and react by trying to talk you out of chasing your goal.

"If I listened to the doubters when I weighed 224 pounds (I now weigh 180 and have kept the 40 pounds off for over a decade) and decided to run my first marathon back in 1996, I would not be who I am or where I am today.

"No matter what anyone around you thinks or says, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. You just need to take it one step at a time, stay consistent with your workouts and keep it fun!