The average person has about 60,000 thoughts emerging through their head each day. Think about that for a second... All joking aside, the stunning revelation for me was that, of those 60,000 thoughts, approximately 95% of those are the same thoughts that we've had from the previous day which only leaves us 5% for new and creative thoughts.
It's no wonder that people go through their life, day after day, and never change the quality of their life. That's where I was back in May of this year. Stuck in a rut, carrying the same old worn-out thoughts around with me day after day.
It was like my mind had a self-limiting rearview mirror. Each time I wanted to make a positive change my mind would replay past events where I tried to make a change and failed. I was at the point of believing that 'who I was is who I am' so there is no point in trying to change my life for the good.
And that's where my weight loss journey began.
I knew that I needed to move beyond my past and stop navigating my course by the view from my rearview mirror. I needed to begin a new journey. A journey that only looked forward. I needed to imagine a journey with limitless possibilities.
Entering this holiday season, I've lost almost EIGHTY pounds since May 20th.
Let me try to put losing eighty pounds into perspective. Imagine carrying around eighty pounds of extra weight - everyday and everywhere you go. That would be like carrying around eight 10-pound bowling balls. For you beer drinkers out there, if my math is right, that's like trying to carry four cases of 12-ounce cans with you everywhere you go. And you never get to drink any of them.
I did have a goal when I started this journey. I wanted to get healthy. Early on, I set a goal of losing ONE HUNDRED pounds and I'm looking forward to achieving that goal and living a healthy life. For me, it was more than not looking in the rearview mirror. It was about getting rid of the mirror altogether.
Here's what else I’ve learned over the last several months. There's a big difference between setting goals and making life changes. Life changes become a part of who you are as a person. A goal is a desired outcome, a life change is collection of daily habits you put in place to achieve your goals.
For me, those life changes involved eliminating sugar from my diet, limiting my carbohydrates, walking everyday and incorporating intermittent fasting into my daily life. While the changes I made may not be for everyone, there is one component of my journey that is the same.
You don't have to keep living your life through the filter of your rearview mirror. You aren't who you used to be! There is a new you ready to break through! Get rid of the same old worn-out thoughts and imagine a new life with endless possibilities!
You can do it!
Be Well.
Bill
