Tuff Talk: Less Excuses, More Execution

Yesterday, I posted this statement on facebook and twitter. It got such a good response, I decided to make it one of my mantra pics – and then I got to thinking about all the excuses we make.

We come up with many lame reasons why we can’t workout but, in the end, we are making the choices we want. We want to be lazy, we want to watch TV, we prefer to be on the computer, we like to eat unhealthy food, and we want our freedom to do what we want. We choose to do many different things each day – and rarely is anyone making us do any of them.

Sure, we “have” to work – but even that is a choice. We only work to have a certain lifestyle. We don’t NEED a lot of the things we want in life, but we CHOOSE to work to attain them. Exercise will become a priority when you realize your health is more important than the best movie, the tastiest food, the greatest job, the newest car, and the latest facebook status.

TUFF TALK: Things to Think About

Many people don’t realize how exercise affects their life until they grow older, or when it’s too late. Your health affects your relationships, confidence, performance, mind, energy, and even your purpose in life. No matter what you are called to do in life, you can’t possibly do it to your best of your ability if you are unhealthy and/or overweight.

These are very harsh words, but in most cases, they are the honest truth. Although I wish our body didn’t affect us the way it did, and that we could be ok when we are heavy, but we normally can’t. And even people who once struggled with their weight, but were seemingly ok, confess they were not as OK with it as they seemed. They just settled for less than best, and that’s no way to live.

What is your goal in life? To be the best parent, to move up the corporate ladder, to serve at your church, to have a great marriage, to leave a lasting legacy? Well, let’s think about that for a moment.

• You can’t be the best mom or dad you can be if you aren’t the best you.
• How can you take care of others, when you can’t take care of yourself?
• How can you convince your children to not smoke and damage their body, when you damage yours with food?
• How good of a friend can you be if you are unhappy, unhealthy and no fun to be with?
• How do you expect your spouse to feel if you don’t even want to see your own body naked.
• You can’t treat your body how you want all your life, and expect it to treat you good back.
• It’s hard to go far in your career when energetic, healthy, fit, sharp people are competing against you.
• Inactive adults rarely grow up to be active seniors.
• How can you travel, and explore the world, if you lose your breath going up a flight of stairs.
• Material things are worthless if you aren’t healthy enough to enjoy them, and share them.
• How can you say your thankful for your life, but treat one of God’s greatest gifts to you (your body) poorly?

Your Body is a Gift. 

You have a responsibility to take care of your body.

If your car got out of shape, you’d fix it. Mostly because you’ve invested in it and you don’t want it to fall apart on you. But even more importantly, you want to use it. You didn’t buy that car for it to sit your drive way, and you want to USE your body too. You want it to be there for you when you need it most. You need it to be reliable and strong. All of those things take maintenance and work. YOU take maintenance and work – and you only get one shot so make it count. Unlike a car, you can’t trade it in on a newer model. You are stuck with you. Like it or not.

Don’t say “I will. Tomorrow”, because tomorrow may very well be too late.

Your Turn:

How has improving your health affected you in ways you did not expect?