We are coming up on the end of January. A time when a lot of people are still thinking about health goals. If you have committed to eat better, drink more water, eat less sugar, or wheat or dairy, or whatever, then I want to share a powerful tool with you.
When you operate by default, you end up thinking that things aren’t fair. That other people have it easier. That you are the only one who can’t eat pizza. Or bread. Or sugar. This thinking puts you in a place of feeling powerless and weak. You’re telling a story where you’re the victim. Life isn’t fair. You can do this about any area of our lives, but I’m going to focus on eating right now.
You tell yourself a story about food. This story is true. Even if it’s not. Your mind can’t tell the difference. If you tell a story like the one above where it’s not fair, that everyone else gets to eat pizza and you don’t, then your mind will get busy finding all the reasons that’s true. You’ll focus on people who get to eat what you can’t. You’ll notice every last reason that it’s not fair- you’ll be like a magnet to it! No one else will even see all the unfairness. And as you see the ways it’s not fair, you’ll feel terrible!
How about you tell a better story. What if there are millions of other people who also have restrictions. Because there are. Millions who embrace restrictions. Think about what actors eat. Some have to gain muscle for certain roles. What athletes eat. What dancers eat. They have to be very aware of how the food they eat makes them operate and perform. Think of what a doctor who works a 12 hour shift gets to eat. Or a nurse. A dentist refuses to eat garlic or onions so that she doesn’t have terrible breath for clients. Or doesn’t drink tea or coffee so her teeth stay white. A vegetarian doesn’t eat meat. But we don’t hear them complaining all day about how it’s not fair. Not to mention the early hours to get up and work out for athletes, years of study for doctors, hours of hot makeup or uncomfortable costumes for actors. I’m sure there are many other examples you can think of.
We all choose restrictions of one form or another. We choose to have kids and restrict our lives and sleep! We choose to go into relationship and restrict our lives for the one we love. We choose restrictions of getting up and going to work on time. We choose restrictions all the time. The irony is that when a person is unhealthy, they get worse restrictions then no pizza. Or sugar. They live a life of feeling terrible, or having medical conditions- sometimes life threatening! To not be able to run around with your kids or grand kids is restrictive. To know your diet is killing you or making your quality of life poor, is restrictive.
Healthy people have told a story that enables them to love the restrictions. They use the word CHOOSE. You can use this word too! “I choose…” is incredibly empowering. There are so many good ways to do this!
“I choose to eat more veggies and less sugar because I choose to live longer.”
“I choose to eat the way I know I should, because I choose to see my grand kids grow up.”
“I choose to go the gym, because I love how my body feels when I am fit.”
I choose, I choose, I choose. This makes you the boss and not the victim. And all that you need to do is think differently. Try it. And see how powerful you feel and how you begin to notice how lucky and blessed and wonderful your life is. Because you are choosing to live longer. To feel better. To make this choice so that you are better able to show up for others. To do the things you know you are called to do in life. To go from feeling crappy and powerless and sad, to feeling energetic and powerful and joyful!
Marisa Peer, Britain’s top therapist who created RTT, taught me about choosing. She shares how you can tell your body to love working out, to love the food you know you need to ear more of. To love whatever restriction is good for your health and life.
I decided to say I love salads. I told myself over and over, that I loved how salad makes me feel. At first I did NOT love salads. There is a short time between when we start to tell ourselves a better story, and when your mind grabs on to it. It’s not long! Now I am actually surprised how much I love salads. And when I chose to tell a different empowering story, I discovered delicious salads all around. I have tried so many great salads I never had before! I know that eating salads is helping me live longer and now I can go sledding with my girls and not get winded after the second run. So I love salads.
You can also choose to allow unhealthy foods in moderation, if you’d like and that fits your goal. Why? Because you are the boss of you! You write your story. You choose! You can use your brilliant mind to work for you! You got this!
RTT helps with weigh loss. If you want to learn more about that, check out www.cyrinatalbott.com
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