pushed my buttons.
pulled my lever.
cranked my handle.
The topic:
QUITTING.
and so let's define this phenomena:
To Quit:
To stop trying, struggling, or the like;
To accept or acknowledge defeat.
You know
I used to feel defeated before I ever started.
Every attempt was either half hearted or based on magical thinking (aka atkins or the grapfruit diet).
Jack asked on his blog today "Did we ever feel like quitting?"
He said, "Not today."
I say Quitting is not an option.
I dropped it as an option May 4th, 2009.
I think people view quitting "weight loss" in the hazy sense.
In the "Oh I am sick of depriving myself of tasty foods" or
"It's just too much". Or
I deserve to live a little".
Not, "I am quitting on myself, on my potential, on who I could be if I had faith."
I think If people said;
"I am going to quit living healthy, I don't have what it takes...I will always be less than I wish to be.
I accept and acknowledge my defeat."
If they said that out loud, I wonder...
I wonder how many people would quit then?
Go ahead.
Say it.
I accept and acknowledge defeat.
The inner soul revolts, deosn't it?
Because really.
You accept and acknowledge defeat so you can have a cheeseburger?
REALLY!?
You accept and acknowledge that you will never live up to your full potential because you don't want to do 30 minutes of walking?
You accept and acknowledge you are cutting years off your life?!
You are willing to lay down and QUIT!!!!
For what?
For some trans fat and sugar?
What's harder?
Watching what you eat and exercising?
Or,
Living every day with the knowledge of what you could have been, what you could have done, and what you COULD HAVE HAD....
You didn't start this journey to quit.
SO DON'T!
Say you decide to quit:
Just know this...
If you hadn't accepted and acknowledged defeat.
If you hadn't decided that food was more important to you than living a full life.
You could have been the kind of person you always admired.
Don't live your life with could have beens.
Remember,
Someday we are all going to shuffle off into eternity.
When you are lying on your death bed, do you want to look back on your life knowing you gave it everything you had?
Or do you want to know that you spent half your life limping along, too afraid to put your heart into something?
I answered that question.
No way in hell am I settling for half a life.
Tick tock tick tock.
I only have so much time.
So does everyone reading this.
It is my goal to live it till I can't squeeze another drop of living out of it.
I am lucky enough to have today.
I hope to be lucky enough to have tomorrow.
Another day to live up to every ounce of potential God gave me.
I bought an exacto knife and a drawing pad today.
I am tired of half assing my art.
I do have a gift.
What is your gift?
What are you afraid of sharing.
What are you afraid of?
Are you afraid of being more powerful than you ever imagined?
More capable?
More talented?
More able?
DON'T BE!
Go out and get it.
Time waits for no one.
I am starting back to drawing again.
I will post my plan tomorrow for weight loss tomorrow.
My art I will post later in the month.
Have a great night guys.
Hugs,
Chris
26 comments:
Thanks for putting things into perspective for me as I begin a weight loss program, hopefully for the last time. You're right--there isn't any food worth giving up my health, sanity, and life for!
Great post, Chris. I feel much the same way, this means our lives. There's nothing that tastes so good that it's worth dying for! We can't lament over the time we've lost, but we have to make the most out of the time we have left!!
I love your positive energy!
{{hugs}}
You're right, of course.
I get so angry at myself, but "quitting" just isn't an option.
After seeing them this weekend, I look at my parents and see where giving up has gotten them. It's ugly. Nope, not an option.
Sometimes people need to know what they are quitting to get a perspective on it. Some days life feels terribly hard. Too hard. Like every little thing is working against you. And, I suppose for the person who is trying to lose weight, there is comfort in food. Not real comfort. Imaginary comfort. The challenge is to find comfort elsewhere so that on those really horrible days, when you reach for your comfort, it isn't food. You've already exchanged it for something healthier. I dont' know what that is b/c I am not on that kind of journey. I have plenty of problems. That just isn't one of them. However, I find that all of your posts are inspirational. I just substitute words. I put my situation into what you are writing and see what comes out. You keep us moving forward. That is a good thing!
Oh, and about the five minute blog. I was curious what people would say about that. Do people mentally shut down if a blog runs longer than five minutes? I want to always be me, but I can work at being more concise...
I bookmarked this post and I think it will be required reading for myself every morning. Thanks Chris!
I've goofed up many times along the way. But the ONE thing I did way back when I started was to decide that I would never quit, no matter what.
Came close... more than once... but didn't.
Best decision I ever made. :-)
Loved this post. Hopes it helps someone on that verge, who is teetering.
Loretta
=^..^=
OMG!!
You are and angel sent and I am so grateful. You got me right where it hurts.
Thank you!
One Million times THANK YOU!!!
Well said, Chris! Once I realized that healthy eating is a way of life, there was no reason to quit anymore. It would be like quitting on life and I simply can't do that, anymore than I could jump off a bridge.
I think many people quit because they want to eat "real food" again. Trying to lose weight or regain health by eating fake foods will always set you up for failure. Fast food and boxed meals are not real foods. Eating healthy can be so easy and delicious and the challenge is to learn how to make it so.
This is a great post! Can't wait to see your art.
Im printing this and mailing to a friend.
all all all credit to you of course.
I love it when you get a bee in your bonnet. Fantastic post. Now go draw. Then show us.
Awesome blog :)
Now this is one of those posts that should be on some sort of automatic trigger that slaps a would-be quitter in the face at the first moment of temptation. Anyone up to inventing such a device? :)
I,too, have seen the light. Quitting just isn't an option anymore! Every bump in the road isn't a reason to turn back, but something to be overcome and laid to rest behind us as we move forward! A truly motivating and inspiring post!
Awesome post! I am going to read this one a lot I am sure.
Cara :)
Ditto what Mrs. Fatass said - I wanna see some of your art! Thanks for a great post. I think you're right, that when we give up on ourselves, we don't really open our eyes and understand the choice we are making. Stating it the way you have - I am giving up on myself, my potential, and the ability to be the person I've always dreamed so I can eat a cheeseburger and not go for a walk - makes the choice as clear as a bell.
I'm returning the apology b/c I haven't been around to blogs lately because of all the busyness!
I come here - read your post - and now leave fully motivated to be awesome.
Thank you!
I agree with you. My healthy habits are so ingrained it's what I prefer - regular exercise and good, healthy food. I'm happy to be back at my routine.
i dont know some time dairy queen feels worth it lol
"I will always be less than I wish to be."
Thanks Chris. Another great post which gets straight to the point. I think that line (above) says it all. That's something I will remember when I want a day off from doing the right thing for myself. I lose out if I don't commit.
Thank you for another powerful post. I'm definitely printing this one!
"What are you afraid of?" is a question I have asked myself many times. I have some answers..but none of them are worth giving up my LIFE for.
I think all my previous attempts were half hearted.
No more. I am putting my whole heart and soul into this.
I also can't wait to see your art!!!
Yeah, I think I'm gonna print this one out too. :)
"What's your gift?" Thanks, Chris for a tough question today, the last day of a vacation in which I didn't meet the goals I set for myself as a writer, the goals I set so that I wouldn't quit on what I want to be. I met my goals fo being present as a parent - quite an accomplishment for me - but not the other thing that's burning inside. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Chris --
What a great post! Found you through blog hopping and am inspired by your continuing success!
I know I've been guilty of an all or nothing mentality when it comes to dieting, but I'm trying to remember that one day and one slip up is not the end and there's no need to quit. As long as I get back on the wagon, I will lose over time.
Dee :D
Do I have your permission to print this out, make a million copies, and wallpaper my house with it? I love it...thank you Chris. :)
Did I mention I really like this post?? :) Printing it out now. Ok, so I don't want to quit, and I'm gonna sound so dumb...but when being punched down so hard, how does one get up again Chris? B/c I feel like I've lost my mojo...I feel like I've lost the know-how-to and the know-how-to-get-started again...I'm at a loss. Life has really blowed here lately and I have the "want" and the "know I can" but I feel stuck. Is this the moment I "cut a bitch" or something like that?? What have you done in moments of "stuckness"? Could use a perspective...maybe you could blog this or maybe you already have and can give me a link?
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