Pack a Positive Perspective
Most traditional dieters focus on what they should be eating or what exercises they should start doing to lose weight and get healthier. This is a dieter’s or an exercise enthusiast’s most common mistake. Healthy mind habits are what keeps one climbing towards their goals when adversity hits – which it will. This is why daily encouragement is the first and most important habit to develop.
How do you read the following phrase?
“OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE”
Most people read the above as “OPPORTUNITY IS NOWHERE.” Did you? We want to help you to see things from a different perspective and help you to change your understanding to see “OPPORTUNITY IS NOW HERE.” So many of us look at our past failures in trying to live a healthier lifestyle and we only see our failures vs. seeing those experiences as learning opportunities.
Do you think you can learn to enjoy living a healthy lifestyle? Sometimes we’re carrying extra mental baggage that we must get rid of before we begin or it will prevent us from completing the journey. A negative perspective is one of the biggest “weights” a person can shed to start the journey off right.
Your personal perspective will determine which path you will take in life. If you want to get to the top of the mountain of health and wellbeing, you’ll have to maintain a positive perspective on the act of "climbing" and living a healthier lifestyle. Your perspective and “attitude” about the habits you must practice to climb towards your goal will ultimately determine the “altitude” you’ll attain.
You must focus on creating motivation, making a commitment, and taking action daily to be successful in your journey. You need to do something each and every day in support of your goal, regardless of how big or little it seems. If your goal is to lose weight, focus on doing something to support that goal each and every day—no matter what! Your actions will strengthen your motivation and encourage you to press on.
Your ability to stay committed to your dreams and goals requires daily motivation. Daily motivation is simply the act of having an idea or “motive” consistently driving you to take action.
Motive + Action = Motivation
By combining a positive perspective with your “motives” (or healthy habits) and adding action to it, you will see progress. This progress will keep you motivated and committed to achieving your goals. Here is a poem by C.W. Longenecker to remind you of the power of your mind and how you must believe you can do something extraordinary with your life before you achieve it:
If you think you can you will
If you think you dare not, you won’t
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a one's will;
It's all in the state of mind!
If you think you'll lose, you've lost;
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself
Before you'll ever win the prize.
Life's battles don't always go to the
bigger, stronger, or smarter person;
They go to one with the will
The one who thinks they can!
Henry Ford also talked about the power of one’s thoughts and how it applies to their success. He said “Whether you think you can or think you can’t; you are right!”
Do you think “you can” go above and beyond what’s usual, regular and customary in maintain a positive perspective on living a healthier lifestyle? If we were to do a “Perspective Test” on you how would it read?
Think positive about what’s possible over the next 28-Days and focus on what you “can” do and not what you “can’t” do!
Whether you think you can or think you can’t; you are right!
- Henry Ford
eHealth Health Tip: Portion Distortion Disorder
Most of us suffer from Portion Distortion Disorder and take a large portion than we actually need. To prevent making an unhealthy choice, use the smallest plate available for built-in portion control. Fill your plate with healthy choices first, like lean proteins and fresh vegetables. Skip or minimize foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Pay close attention to portion sizes and remember these visual cues:
3 oz protein = deck of cards
1-½ oz of cheese = about the size of your thumb
1 cup = one baseball
½ cup = one light bulb
¼ cup = one golf ball
1 Tbsp = one poker chip
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