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Diet & Nutrition

2010-05-01 14:25:00

Belief is key

Question: What’s next in achieving a healthy diet plan?

Answer: In the last several months we have looked at the goal setting process. We’ve learned to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time bound), written out and backed by a powerful "why". Now it’s time for action.

Before you begin, marching down the road to success, you must develop an undying belief that you absolutely can achieve your goal. Belief is the most important success element. It is a fact that whatever you believe in your head and heart is what will manifest itself in your actions and become your reality. This is not a new principle. The Bible says in Proverbs 23:7 "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Whatever you believe about yourself, your circumstances, and your goals will play out in your life. History is full of examples of people who believed in their goals and achieved them despite circumstances; Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, and more recently, Lance Armstrong the cyclist who overcame cancer to win the Tour de France, not once but seven times. These ordinary people were passionate about their goals, believed in their purpose, and refused to let anything stand in their way. Beliefs are shaped in two ways; by past experiences and things other people have said. You have the ability to decide how you think about these experiences. Many people allow past experience to dictate their present action. For example, Susan has gained and lost weight many times, now she’s convinced she "can’t "lose weight. Likewise, Bob has tried several times to get his business going. After several setbacks, he decided to give up, stating, "I’m a failure at business." On the other hand, Mary has played the weight loss/ weight gain game as well. Mary decided to figure out what was standing in her way of achieving permanent results and do something about the obstacle. Likewise, Fred’s faltering business prompted him to acquire more knowledge and skills to develop his business effectively. He chose to work on the problem instead of giving up. Both Mary and Fred understood failure is an event, not a person. They chose to let past experience teach them instead of consume them. They looked to the future, instead of living in the past. By the same token, many people allow things other people have said to control their thoughts. My own personal story illustrates this principle. I grew up "the little fat girl." From the time I was about 5 years old and throughout most of my elementary school years, I was constantly reminded by my peers that my size made me worthless. They teased me, and called me names almost daily. Ironically, I turned to food for comfort. I grew up believing that I was fat, dumb, and stupid. For years into my adult life, I allowed those thoughts to rule my thinking. Any time I disagreed with my husband and he got angry, I automatically assumed I was a bad wife. Any time I was criticized, I assumed that I was a stupid person. As a result, I continued gaining weight. Eventually, I learned to change my thinking. I came to understand that I am in control of my thoughts and that I can choose to replace the destructive thoughts of my youth, with healthy fresh ideas. Beliefs, positive or negative, will play out in your actions. Oft quoted, Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Whether you believe you can, or you believe you can’t, you’re right." You can decide today to look at your past experiences as learning experiences. You can decide today to refute the voices of the past, with new beliefs and actions. Belief in yourself and your goal is indeed, the first step toward achieving your goal. L