How often have things in our lives gotten out of control? Work is stressful. Family is stressful. Friends are stressful. Things become overwhelming and, sooner or later, those things slip. We make mistakes, we screw up, we fail. Whatever you want to call it, people do it. What happens when you do it?
Who is to blame when I slip up? My boss, who gives me too much work? My friends and family for demanding too much time?
I am.
It seems counter-intuitive. Someone else is causing me to stress, someone else is making my life crazy, so how am I to blame? I choose how I handle my life. When I get too stressed by work or family, it is up to me to relay to them how I'm feeling, and then to do something about it. If I can't handle my workload, I need to go talk to my boss and together we can brainstorm about how to fix it. If I never talk to him about my problems, he'll just come down on my harder when I don't meet a deadline. If I feel family and friends are demanding too much of me and I never tell them, I will let them down when I can't be there for them through every second of every day. Others expectations should be taken into account, but ultimately we choose how and where to spend our time.
That goes doubly for exercise and a healthy lifestyle. I choose to take care of myself. When I do I am that much more able to take care of those around me. I can blame whoever I want when I don't eat right or when I don't exercise. "Well, it was a special occasion so I wanted to eat out with everyone." "We have so much to do around the house I just didn't have time for a run." You can eat out and still eat healthy and even if you don't have time for a run it's no excuse for not exercising. Squat while you move those boxes. Lift those cats like dumbbells (you can expect a few scratches from that one!). The point is, it's like Smoky the Bear telling you that only you can prevent forest fires.
Only you can make the decisions to lead, or not lead, a healthy life.
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