Blessings Are the Solution
Parents, it’s time to shift your focus your focus off of problems and onto blessings. Count your mutha f***ing blessings! When you’re focused on obesity, then you feel guilt for eating bad, you attract bad eating habits, you indulge, you just keep spiraling down and you believe you have a PROBLEM, that needs to be fixed, but the problem is so large we don’t know where to start – EEEKKK! Honestly, many adults are products of our environments and do not know how to give our bodies the proper nutrition, let alone create a workout regimen to build our desired strength and physique. We have come to believe that we must settle for a body, a life, relationships, jobs, everything really. If you believe this, it is time to shift your focus.
Start with ME
I am a single mom. I tell myself daily, I am so blessed to have a body. I am so blessed to have my health – it is literally keeping me alive! I am so blessed to have a body that is capable of moving, tasting, touching, seeing, hearing, smelling, lifting, running, building, etc. And, so why would I not workout, take care of me, preserve my body and show myself love?
My mind, body, and spirit are inextricably interconnected… What I do or don’t do in one area directly impacts the other. I take this very seriously and this is the basis to my approach to fitness, to parenting, to being, and living in this world. I want to create vitality, strength, freedom. In reminding myself of these things then I tend to eat healthy, workout, and get my rest.
It is about taking charge of our lives and bodies, tapping into the being God made us to be – this is different for everyone, I am not saying we all need to be superhuman soldiers, but for me this is about creating that which I want – tapping into my inner strength, which manifests in the physical through my workouts. I understand the beautiful relationship between my body and how I feel, think, and act in this world. I feel empowered to dig deeper, find more clarity, become more at ease, live in love, and live in my strength. As I take care of my body it takes care of all of me and I can better take care of my son and all that is in my life.
Why Shift Your Focus?
In the United States more than 1/3 children are obese or overweight and more than 3/4 of adults according to a 2012 study conducted by the CDC . We have the worst health as a nation compared to other 1st world nations (I hate this term, but whatevs). If we focus on this problem, it is an epidemic! The more we focus on this problem the bigger it gets – just like the war on drugs, the war on terror, the war on poverty – none of these “wars” solve the “problem,” because they are focused on the problem and not on that which we want to create –> which is HEALTH, PEACE, FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE or PROSPERITY… However, we have the power to shift anything – any problem, any epidemic, any issue. The conundrum though is realizing that the only way to “solve” a problem, even if it’s a national or global problem, is two fold:
- Shift the focus
- Become the change we wish to see (please know this is Ghandi.. please).
You must focus on becoming your version of what it means to be the healthiest ever – in doing this, you will attract more healthy, you will be more healthy, only healthy will exist in your reality, and all will become healthy.
Be The Change You Wish To See
I return to counting my blessings. Not everyone has the ability to be mobile. Some can’t use their fingers, hands, arms, toes, feet, legs, neck, back, or spine. Since I was given my body, fully capable of everything, it would be an insufficient act of gratitude to not tend to my body. I am thankful for my health and to keep my vitality thriving I must continue to love and be thankful. What we see is what we have been and are focusing on… I encourage you to focus on the beauty, love, and strength within yourself and this is what you will begin to see in your outside world. My son sees me take care of myself. It is NOT about me teaching him to love himself, or even teaching him to workout, eat healthy, and be active. Our children see everything. I understand that he is not me and does not have to do what I do. But if he sees me do a pull up, he will want to do his own thing on the bar, and therefore I allow what he wants to try. Be the change you wish to see in the world, and you will see your world change.
The Best Way I Can Give To My Son
Tending to my spirit, my mind, and my body is the best way I can give to my son. In creating what I want, I allow my son to create what he wants. He sees that I can create, and he knows he can create. It is NOT about me teaching him to love himself, or even teaching him to workout, eat healthy, and be active. When I am at peace with my spirit, grounded in my body, and clear in my head, I do not lash out at him, I am more patient. I don’t track how long it’s been taking to do a simple task or what we haven’t gotten done; I am not layering stress upon stress upon stress. When I show my body love – by working out daily, by giving it the foods it needs to be vibrant, and by being well rested – then I AM LOVE. And this is the BEST thing I can do as a parent.