Throughout my life I have been a voracious reader, but the last couple of years, it has taken me forever to get through books. I keep ordering them and getting them at used bookstores (I know, what is WRONG with me - I can't even finish the ones I have!), but....... anyway, the latest one that I am so very slowly making my way through is Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. It's an excellent book so far, I just would like an uninterrupted afternoon to make my way through it. More on that to come.
One of the things that she mentions in there is people who constantly just dig deep when the going is tough and they've hit the wall but they just keep on going. Of course, she goes on to say, but what do you do when that doesn't work, and redefines DIG. I won't give her secrets away here (but really, get the book: it is good!). I thought about that in my own life.
I am blessed that I have been gifted with a DIG DEEP bone. Did I always use this gift? Are you kidding me? Would I have needed to write this blog had I used it properly? Once I discovered that I really did have this special gift, I decided that I needed to use it as often as necessary. Last week was one of those weeks. I'd done everything I was supposed to do, and still had an uptick on the scale. But I also knew that I had done nothing wrong, it was a blip, and I needed to dig a little deeper and just plow on. And I did precisely that and lost not only everything I'd "put on" (ahem: water weight!) but that number again, AND a little more. I'm getting ever closer to being back where I want to be -- and I love that feeling.
But no resting on my laurels..... hey, that reminds me, just where are my laurels, anyway? ...... and I am so psyched about my upcoming activity plans for the next couple of months. Biking on the VA Creeper Trail this weekend, and four different 5K's in November and December. Plus gym work and who knows what else? I need to get back to yoga -- I do miss it, and need to work it back in my plans. That's the one area I've slacked on lately and I miss that lovely time of shutting out the world and just breathing and moving ever so gently. I just need to dig a little deeper and rearrange some things to make it happen.
Which brings me to this thought............... What do you need to dig deep, if you're not sure you have a DIG DEEP bone?
So when you're faced with a situation where you're not sure you can go on, dig a little deeper..... go on for one more minute. Then the next, and the next, until you've hit an hour. And the next, and the next. And WOW you've made it a day, just digging a little deeper, moment by moment. You just put one foot down in front of the other. Again and again.
You can do it. You are worth it. Dig a little deeper.
And WW members -- if you do not own a copy of the Power Foods cookbook, then get one at your next meeting, and make the Turkey, Zucchini, and Quinoa miniloaves. Oh. My. Gosh. So. Good!!!!!! (And very filling, too!).
One of the things that she mentions in there is people who constantly just dig deep when the going is tough and they've hit the wall but they just keep on going. Of course, she goes on to say, but what do you do when that doesn't work, and redefines DIG. I won't give her secrets away here (but really, get the book: it is good!). I thought about that in my own life.
I am blessed that I have been gifted with a DIG DEEP bone. Did I always use this gift? Are you kidding me? Would I have needed to write this blog had I used it properly? Once I discovered that I really did have this special gift, I decided that I needed to use it as often as necessary. Last week was one of those weeks. I'd done everything I was supposed to do, and still had an uptick on the scale. But I also knew that I had done nothing wrong, it was a blip, and I needed to dig a little deeper and just plow on. And I did precisely that and lost not only everything I'd "put on" (ahem: water weight!) but that number again, AND a little more. I'm getting ever closer to being back where I want to be -- and I love that feeling.
But no resting on my laurels..... hey, that reminds me, just where are my laurels, anyway? ...... and I am so psyched about my upcoming activity plans for the next couple of months. Biking on the VA Creeper Trail this weekend, and four different 5K's in November and December. Plus gym work and who knows what else? I need to get back to yoga -- I do miss it, and need to work it back in my plans. That's the one area I've slacked on lately and I miss that lovely time of shutting out the world and just breathing and moving ever so gently. I just need to dig a little deeper and rearrange some things to make it happen.
Which brings me to this thought............... What do you need to dig deep, if you're not sure you have a DIG DEEP bone?
- Practice. There is a saying about doing one thing each day that scares you. No better way to find your DIG DEEP bone than to scare yourself pantsless until you realize that yeah, you CAN do this!
- Remind yourself that the outcome is worth the work. Whatever you expend into this will be rewarded!
- Ask yourself what's the alternative (or the alternatives) .... are they worth it? One thing that I always remember asking myself in my college and early adult years was, "If I do (x) {or alternately, if I didn't do [x] that was good for me}, what will I think when I look at myself in the mirror the next day?" Would I feel better about myself? Would I be proud of whatever effort I put in, or ashamed that I hadn't done my best? Always doing a risk-reward analysis, but it paid off. There were times I would think that something wasn't worth the guilt I would feel, or doing something when I didn't feel like it would make me really proud of myself. So I still do -- would wallowing in self-pity and eating a donut really make me feel better, or make me proud? Would getting up at the crack-a-dawn and putting in a good honest workout leave me feeling good about myself, instead of rolling back over and hitting the snooze bar?
- Destroy the negative self-talk tape and replace it with positive self-talk. It is something I always struggle with ..... that inner voice. It's not just about my size or my habits or anything in particular. I struggle with it all the time, in every situation. Sometimes, it plays the most negative stuff -- and the worst moments are when I not only listen, but choose to hit rewind over and over. Other times, when it tries, I'm able to stop and say, "What a liar! Telling me I'm not worth the trouble. I'll show it! I am TOO worth every ounce of energy I put into this....." or sometimes, "Did that person really say that? Okay, well, they might think I'm (fill in the blank) but that's just their opinion and I choose to disagree. I *know* I'm not the things they think I am!"
So when you're faced with a situation where you're not sure you can go on, dig a little deeper..... go on for one more minute. Then the next, and the next, until you've hit an hour. And the next, and the next. And WOW you've made it a day, just digging a little deeper, moment by moment. You just put one foot down in front of the other. Again and again.
You can do it. You are worth it. Dig a little deeper.
And WW members -- if you do not own a copy of the Power Foods cookbook, then get one at your next meeting, and make the Turkey, Zucchini, and Quinoa miniloaves. Oh. My. Gosh. So. Good!!!!!! (And very filling, too!).
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