Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Bit o' Inspiration

I love this article from the Huffington Post by Jay Williams, called "The Key to Getting Motivated."


My favorite take-away is on using positivity: Instead of "I will" or "I will not" statements, use "I am" statements, then create a mantra. So instead of "I will not eat fatty foods," say, "I am an incredibly healthy person who eats nutritious, whole foods." Or how about this: "I am an athlete. I thrive on exercise, especially walking and resistance training." The more you say it and see yourself as that person, the more you will become it.

I can testify that this WORKS. My baby had an extremely collicky first few months of life. One of the things I did to cope and stay patient was to create a mantra of my own:

"My child is a divine gift. Being a mother is the most important duty I have ever been given. I will care for my child with patience and joy and be grateful for the privilege of this honor."

I wrote this on a card that sits on my nightstand. I say this in my mind whenever he stresses me out or I find myself wishing I was doing something other than trying to soothe him. The day I created this and began repeating it, everything changed. I don't find myself getting upset, and I realized my love for him has grown. It is forever in my mind whether I'm conscious of it or not, and I truly believe these words.

Now, for a workout/getting healthy/staying motivated mantra...

Any ideas????
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5 comments:

  1. KatieMarch 1, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    I'm idea-less, but wanted to chime in and say that I love your motherhood mantra. Better keep that card to use in 15 years-ish, eh? ;)

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  2. KellyMarch 2, 2011 at 11:07 AM

    I once had a sweatshirt with the words "No food tastes as good as it feels to be thin."

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  3. ChocokateMarch 2, 2011 at 6:57 PM

    I'm totally stealing your motherhood mantra. I love it! I need it! Thanks for including me in this, I need a little motivation to exercise myself, and it will be fun to watch your progress and cheer you on along the way.You go girl!

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  4. Lindsay M.March 2, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Yes ladies, please do take the mantra! I'm telling you it works—at least it did for me. Mom I love that saying! It is SO true. Too bad it's so hard to remember in the moment. Perhaps another index card is in the works.

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  5. Shboogoo's MommyMarch 10, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    I love the mantra ideas. Guess I'd better read the article, too! thanks for the inspiration.

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