Don't make success harder than it needs to be
to you
As I approach my 50th birthday, I’m grateful for having earned and maintained what many others are still wishing for … or have given up on.
This morning, the Fitfilled coaching app reminded me that it’s time to submit measurements. (As a matter of principle, I do nearly everything that we expect our coaching clients to do, including taking my own measurements.)
After 10 days of being in vacation mode with visiting family, my waist is 31”, which is a bit bigger than usual, but close to what I’ve maintained since losing 30 lbs nearly two decades ago.
In contrast, the average waist size for men my age is about 40” … nearly 10” bigger! Even for women, the average waist size for a 50-year-old is in the upper 30s!
But the implications of those extra inches go far beyond not liking how you look in a swimsuit. They’re a cumulative outcome of habits that also (and more importantly) affect your energy, mood, health … and, ultimately, your future.
I have a flat stomach and can confidently take my shirt off at the beach. But as nice as that may sound (and I do enjoy it), it doesn’t matter that much.
What matters much more is that I have steady energy and a stable, positive mood, all of which enable me to get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of every single thing I do. Plus, better energy and mood further contribute to my happiness by helping me interact better with others and, in turn, making it easier to establish and maintain stronger social connections.
These are the kinds of things that can make life feel like a blessing versus feeling like you’ve been dealt a bad hand.
Don’t let yourself be the one who deals that bad hand!
In the face of a difficult change, how many times have you said to yourself (or even out loud), “I can’t.”
If I thought that way twenty years ago when I was contemplating the changes I was about to make to my diet and lifestyle, my current thoughts about turning 50 would likely be much different.
Instead of feeling grateful for my health and high potential for still having many vibrant years ahead, I’d probably be sad and frustrated, perhaps even feeling like I already had one foot in the grave thanks to the “bad hand” I’d be thinking I was dealt.
Based on my family history and what I already know about my health tendencies, there’s a good chance I’d be diabetic and on blood pressure medication (in addition to being overweight and persistently tired and irritable).
I’ve enjoyed nearly two decades (and counting) of a much better quality of life thanks to thinking “I can” instead of “I can’t.” You can do the same!
Don’t talk yourself out of a better future!
What’s something you know you could and should be doing to improve your quality of life, but you keep talking yourself out of?
Let me know!
To your success,
Dr. Vin