It’s admirable that you want to commit yourself to eating better, exercising every day, taking a new class. But what really makes you stick to that commitment is your will!

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t’s admirable that you want to commit yourself to eating better, exercising every day, taking a new class. But what really makes you stick to that commitment is your will!

Start

Cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, endurance, power, speed and coordination are the key to our health and freedom of choice. The key to being your own master is experimenting with what weight feels comfortable to you rather than trying primarily to be thin for acceptance.

Learning to accept and love our bodies and ourselves is an important and difficult ongoing struggle for everyone.

But to change the societal values underlying body image, we need to do more than love ourselves and move our bodies.

Beautiful is messy and disorganized, gooey and organic. My beauty is real. It is not symmetrical, tidy, boxed and packaged into the perfect size. Beauty is not the most external part of a person and the most external part of a person is not the whole person.

We cannot know a person based on their image. We cannot see their struggles or sorrows, joys or loves. Can we see where they came from? Whether they experienced parenthood or the loss of a loved one? What made them what I see before me here and now?

Are goals just another buzz word? Setting goals and truly holding yourself accountable take effort, commitment and some level of discipline. While setting goals can instill a greater sense of purpose, the challenge is often staying motivated to follow through. A lot of people set goals and then think the work is done. It's similar to buying a new pair of running shoes and thinking you are magically in shape. You may look good in the shoes but now the challenging part kicks in when you have to do the work.

Welcome to the world of obstacles. Let's go right to the bottom line -- obstacles are sneaky, and they try to throw you off course day after day. The one thing that will remain constant is obstacles. I frequently hear people say they CAN'T do something rather than how they WILL do it. Here are a few of the culprits...

Overwhelmed

Weather (cold, hot, rainy)

Crazy travel schedule

Lack of time/sooo busy

Hard to get motivated
Money

Ultimately, obstacles help determine how important something is to you. We all make time for the things that truly matter.

Many people have asked me about back pain, and I constantly tell them to check out Dr. Sarno's book, Healing Back Pain, The Mind Body Connection. Just reading the book at Barnes & Noble one afternoon cured me of years of back pain. I know it sounds crazy, but he has sort of a cult following, and I had heard about him for years before I actually read the book. Since I began telling people how it changed my life, I have encountered quite a few others who have said they had the same experience.