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Right now it's probably hard to keep a positive attitude about things. All over the country, it's obvious that we cannot control the weather. The Midwest has had one of the coldest winters on record. Ice storms blanketed the south. The South-Central United States had a tornado outbreak last month. While it's not unusual for them to be struck with tornadoes, it generally doesn't happen in February. Nearly every day there's a news report about another young life lost in the war. The country's unemployment rate is the highest it's been in nearly 20 years and they are predicting we will see double-digit unemployment before the economy bounces back. Parents that were saving for their children to go to college are now finding it necessary to put that money towards their retirement. Or worse ... using it to live off of now. Family budgets are taking a hit with lost jobs, lack of raises, pay cuts and reduced hours. The Dow recently closed at the rate of over ten years ago and at 50% lower then its all-time high. Watching the news brings to light the number of children that are committing crimes that were once reserved for adults. You may have wondered more than once, "Why bother?"
I'll tell you "why bother!" Because regardless of what is happening around us - with the economy, with the jobs of you and your loved ones, with the weather, with crime, with furthering the education of young adults, with the war, with our family budget - not following your plan to Go to Health won't change ANY of it! I'll be the first to admit that if me not being concerned about exercise, eating a balanced diet and journaling would result in the improvement of those things, I'd gladly sacrifice my health and wellness for the greater good of the world. But it just doesn't work that way!
The things that we have absolutely no control over are endless: economy, traffic, war, weather. The things that we have limited control over are many: our children, spouse or significant other, job, family budget. But there are a few things that we have the ultimate control over: the fork, the spoon, the knife and what we put on our plate!
You might argue the point and say that you don't have that control when you eat at someone else's home, go out to dinner, attend a banquet or wedding, etc. However, you DO! Just because someone's prepared something doesn't mean that you're required to eat it. Just because a particular food is in the chaffing dish in the buffet line doesn't mean you have to put it on your plate. Just because your niece or nephew or grandchild is having a birthday party doesn't mean you have to eat the cake and ice cream. You can still plan for the day and make wise choices when you go through the buffet line, serve yourself from the serving bowls at the table or politely decline the cake and ice cream.
I didn't mean for this Page Three to seem like such a downer. Being reminded of the things above was probably hard. But the true message in this Page Three is that we CAN succeed despite what seem to be dire circumstances surrounding our lives. Don't let outside influences rob you of your dream that way that obesity robbed me of mine for many years. What's going on outside doesn't matter as much as what's going on inside. Move that dream from your heart to your head and remember ... It's never too late to be the person you were meant to be!
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