One of the responses I received from last week’s question, “What keeps you from making healthy changes?” was fear of failure. “I’ve started and stopped so many health improvement schemes over the years….”
My first question is,” Who are you changing for?” Friends, family, society, a spouse? Do you want to be thinner, healthier, and more energetic to meet someone else’s vision of who you “should” be? The better question is, “Who do you see yourself as being?” You are what you think you are, so before you can change your body, you’ll have to change your thoughts.
What does it mean to be healthy? What is YOUR definition of healthy? Write it down. Read it. How does it feel to be that person? Imagine having all of those attributes. How does it feel to be strong, flexible and full of energy? What does that look like in YOUR life?
Are there old beliefs that keep you from feeling like this is you? Do they not match what a woman your age should be like? Letting go of limiting beliefs can be a struggle. You may want to begin by using the statement, “What if I were healthy?” This opens the door to possibilities without that old negative voice rearing its ugly head.
Practice feeling what it would be like if you were healthy. By using the “What if…” statement you create the opportunity for positive emotions to sneak in the back door and begin to be part of you. Once those new emotions become familiar, making changes won’t be a struggle. You’ll just be acting like you.