Make Good Choices
Make the most of your life. One minute at a time.
Forget about yesterday. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Focus on now: This day. This hour. This moment. It’s the ONLY thing you have control over.
Speaking of control, YOU HAVE CONTROL of your thoughts, right? So…it’s up to you to decide what you allow into your head. Will you fill it with good, positive, uplifting thoughts? Or will you allow the daily grind to wear you down and let the self-pity, negative ‘I hate myself’ talk to take over?
Use your best judgment. Make the best choice for the moment.
You can choose to focus on the negative. But where will that take you? Answer: further down the negative path.
Avoid the Pity Party
I tell you all of this because I have “been there” and “done that”. Honestly, I’m very good at self-destructive thoughts. And self-pity? I could teach an advanced level class on that subject. So…I’m not pretending to be any better than you. But here’s the thing. Like you, I am smart enough to know that no one is standing over me with a sledge hammer beating thoughts into my head.
Oh yes, Madison Avenue tries their damndest to influence me and you. But there again, we have a CHOICE whether or not to allow their slick advertising gimmicks to persuade us.
Become Your Own Advertising Agency
Did you know that you have your own version of Madison Avenue in your head? It’s true: you sell yourself on ideas all day long. Why not make those ideas work for you and not against you? Why not fill your head with positive thoughts?
Tell yourself that if you want to be a runner you have to lace up your shoes and run. Or at least walk. If you want to start going to the gym to work out, then give yourself the pep-talk that you need to pack your gym bag and get on the bus or get in the car and GO!
Positive Thoughts + Action = Success
If your plan is to eat healthier foods, then do some research, make a shopping list and go to the food store. Stay away from the crap; buy only what’s on your list. When you get home, unpack your fruits and vegetables and wash them. Cut them up. Put them in containers. Make them handy so when it’s time to eat, or you need a snack, you are PREPARED. Boil some eggs or poach some boneless, skinless chicken breasts while you’re prepping your fruits and veggies. I’m not a big fan of multi-tasking at work, but when I cook, it makes perfect sense.
Now : you have good choices available to you. There’s no need to put your hand in a bag of BBQ potato chips or grab a handful of cookies when you have celery, carrots, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, apples, oranges, bananas and pears to choose from.
Are You Getting This?
Persuade yourself that you’re in control (because you are). Remind yourself that life will continue to throw you all kinds of twists and turns — but stay true to your goals and make GOOD choices. How do you do this? You can literally talk to yourself (out loud) and tell yourself that you’re going to do the right thing.
You can put positive thoughts on sticky notes and cover your bathroom mirror with them. You can let some of your friends in on your plan and ask them for their support. You will, in time, catch yourself thinking negative thoughts. That’s major progress!
You just need to catch yourself quickly and TURN THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AROUND. Instead of “I don’t give a shit, I’m going to eat a dish of ice cream.” You should say, “I’m on a quest to eat healthy. I’m not going to let my negative mood sabotage my plan. I’m going to have a ¼ cup of vanilla yogurt with a teaspoon of sugar-free strawberry jam on top.” (It’s excellent by the way!)
Become a Cheerleader for “Team-Me”
Always make your self-talk positive in nature. And…congratulate yourself on making good choices. That’s not cheesy, people, that’s being SMART.
The Take-Away
Don’t let a bad moment become a bad day. Don’t let a bad day turn into a bad week. It’s SO easy to get sucked into the negative vortex. Remember:
- You’re in charge of YOU.
- Make good choices.
- Be Strong. Stay Strong.
Please leave a comment or contact me directly if this post has helped you. Thanks!
