How's Your Self-Control?

I've been thinking lately... I know, SCARY! :D

Are you working on your self-control or have you had a change of heart?

A story to illustrate my point...
My oldest child is the oldest by 4 years. When he was about 5 years old, we would take him with us to do landscaping work for a friend. It was a fun thing we could all do together and there was always something that he, even as a 5 year old, could do to help. In those years, he thought this "family time" was treacherous. He complained and decided to just mope around and go slow. Did he get his "job" done? Yes, but you would think we were torturing the child by the way he complained and moped around. He did it, he completed it but it was such a negative effect by him.

On the contrast today, as a 12 year old, he loves to help. He loves to go out to the garden, to help those in need, to clean the van. Do I still get complaints, yes, some, but most of them are because a friend is over and he wants to play so he wants to get it done QUICK! No more moping, "poor me" or slow, dragging work for him.

What changed? His attitude. He had a change of heart. Instead of resisting the things that needed to be done and do them all begrudgingly, he decided that it was something fun, of good value and if he gets it done quickly, he has time for more things.

How do you think of your health? of exercise? of eating right? Are you doing it begrudgingly, thinking of how tortured you are or how unfair it is that we need to work our bodies in order to be healthy? Do you dread thinking of eating healthy and complain about all the things you can't eat (even if it's to yourself)? Then you need a change of heart!

I struggled with this as I was losing weight. And it wasn't until I started enjoying and actually having that change of heart, that I actually had some BIG changes in my weight and in my life. Now things didn't go from bad to good in a day, I started just appreciating the little things...
I was grateful for my muscles, for the ability to go to the gym, for the opportunity to choose what I eat. Then I decided I would change my mind about exercise. I first loved cardio and didn't like lifting weights.... then I changed and loved weights but not cardio so much... So what's the point in not liking something??? It doesn't do us any good. Especially if it needs to be done anyway, right?

Little story break.... I LOVE doing laundry. Most people think I'm crazy. The truth is, not too long ago, I DREADED laundry. It was just so tedious and I felt it took my whole day. Just blah! So one day I thought to myself... "WHY do I dread laundry so much? What is it about laundry that is so bad?"... think... think... think... (my thinking sometimes runs about as fast as my 7 year old computer) let's see... "I have a washer and dryer in my house, so I don't even have to go anywhere. I can actually do them while in my pajamas. That's pretty good. I set aside a day to do the laundry, so I don't usually have to rush anywhere... I like not rushing around sometimes... I can sit and watch T.V. while I fold... and put away my clothes... that means I can catch up on my DVR shows that hubby complains I never get to....

so.... when I do laundry, I can be calm, watch tv, do it at home and even in my pj's if i want to, I don't have to get quarters and I can get other things done while I do it. What's so bad about that? And my attitude changed. I LOVE doing laundry. And now I've noticed it is so relaxing to do laundry and I look forward to it. Maybe I like it too much since I don't like it when my husband does it for me. :D hahaha

So how do you look at exercise? How do you look at eating healthy? How do you look at leading a healthy life? Do you resist it by TRYING to have self-control over the things you "can't" have or things you "have to" do? Positivity attracts positive results and Negativity brings about negative results. Resistance is a negative feeling. Is that the result you want?

People who've achieved their dreams, didn't start their path or keep on it by stating how impossible their task was and how difficult it was. They believed they could achieve it and they put their heart into it. That is how they achieved their dreams and how you can achieve your dreams and goals too. Love them, Nurture them, Be grateful for the ability you have to achieve them.