~Heather’s World~

Change is more then a 6 letter word!
 

Change? Change is definitely more then just a 6 letter word. Change is a process and it can be a life long process at that!
First, let’s look at the definition:
1 a: to make different in some particular : alter  b: to make radically different : transform c: to give a different position, course, or direction to2 a: to replace with another  b: to make a shift from one to another : switch c d: to undergo a modification of e: to put fresh clothes or covering on <change a bed>intransitive verb1: to become different <her mood changes every hour>2of the moon : to pass from one phase to another3: to shift one’s means of conveyance : transfer <on the bus trip he had to change twice>4of the voice : to shift to lower register : break5: to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution <winter changed to spring>6: to put on different clothes <need a few minutes to change for dinner>7: exchange, switch <neither liked his seat so they changed with each other>
— chang·er noun — change hands
: to pass from the possession of one owner to that of another <money changes hands many times>
synonyms change, alter, vary, modify mean to make or become different. change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another
Okay, basically what I am starting to realize is that change, true heart felt transforming change starts on the inside and shows on the outside. It does NOT start on the outside! See, for a long time I thought that if I changed the outside, the circumstances, etc-I would change. That is NOT so. It all starts from inside. Inside of your head and your heart!
I realize that now that change is a process that entails more then 1 step. Wanting to change is NOT enough. You have to put actions behind your words! You have to create a desire and remain consistent and diligent in the things that you do!
Here is a process for change that I stumbled upon while listening to a pod-cast.

1. Renew your mind-You need to renew your mind w/ the things that you want to achieve, your goals, dreams, aspirations, etc. The good things that you have accomplished-etc. For me, I renew my mind w/ a few things the are as follows: my written aspirations, my cancellations (I’ll explain this later), my pod-casts,  my scripture cards (I jot all my favorite inspirational verses on 3×5 cards and read ‘em when I get lazy, stressed, down, or discouraged.) so point is this, YOU have to renew your mind and constantly ponder on what you WANT to achieve.
   
2.  Decide-Okay, you have to make a ‘quality decision’ that YOU WANT TO CHANGE! Do NOT just say, yeah-I really would like to do this, but it’s so hard or I just don’t have the time. This decision needs to be of quality! Come hell or high water you need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt, this is what I want and I don’t care how many times I get knocked over-I will continue to want it!!! *In others words, would you sign your name in blood on this decision, agreement, etc?*
   
3. Desire-With true change comes desire, fire, passion, etc! How much do you desire to reach your goals? How much do you desire to change? Desire isn’t something that comes or lasts for a long time! I have learned this the hard way! I start off so strong and determined and then mid-way through, I’m a total goner! Oh, what went wrong, I’d ask myself. It was easy, lack of desire!
   

I realize now that each person has to create their own desire! I realize now that by speaking the things I want it will come to pass! E.G.- I want to eat clean! I want to be smoke free! I want to train hard! I do not want to miss a workout! I am NO longer an emotional eater! I create desire by constantly speaking on it, its constantly fresh in my mind and heart.
 4. Increase your knowledge-The bible will tell you this and to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know this: People perish for lack of knowledge! Stop spinning your wheels in the    gym or kitchen-GET SOME KNOWLEDGE FROM A RELIABLE SOURCE! Learn about training, cardio, supplements, eating clean! Try new recipes, a new class sport, etc! Now, tell me this-we have people who hate to read, etc-now, lets so circa 1980. WOULD YOU WANT A DOCTOR FROM THE LATE 70’S OR EARLY 80’S TO PERFORM BRAIN SURGERY ON YOU? I HOPE NOT! IT’S 2008 AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED! The same thing goes w/ this lifestyle! It is constantly changing and so should be! We must increase our knowledge base in order to increase life experiences!
5. Remain consistent and diligent whatever your goals are. That is one of the most important things! I mean, 1 workout will NOT get you a 6 pack-let alone anything else. 1 clean meal will not cause you to drop body fat in an instant. It’s the diligence and consistency that will cause it to change. It’s not what you do one day, but what you do everyday that counts the most.
Lastly, I will explain cancellations. Okay? This came to me this morning well writing affirmations. I write out a negative emotion or feeling that I have either about myself or something that is bothering me and I turn around and cancel it out w/ a positive affirmation (mines are a bit based in the word.) However, this is for anyone-take that negative emotion and cancel it out w/ something posistive.
I know that I am my worst enemy. Perhaps the reason that I have fallen off so many times is my lack of true desire, my lack of self confidence and my lack luster mindset.
However, the game has changed and change is no longer a one day or 4 week challenge. It’s a life long goal. I defeated myself before I started simply by the way that I would talk to myself. I am learning how to cancel the negative talk out and I am working on positive affirmations and cancellations.
When all else fails, start w/ the inside and the outside will follow pursuit. Get your mind and heart right and your body will surely follow.
Yours in health and happiness,
HH

So, this morning I was getting ready for work, listening to another wonderful podcast by T.D. Jakes. He spoke about ‘FAITH’. I stood there, getting ready, trying to soak every word that he said into my head. I wanted to just marinate in the sermon.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, but not yet seen. I’m sure that we all know that. He went on to say that sometimes, we have to just hold onto our faith regardless of circumstances, situations, and people’s opinions. He said, you have got to grab it and NOT let it go, NO MATTER WHAT.
Hmm, so I began thinking…first, as you know, life and death are in the tongue. So, what are you speaking? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Whatever is in your heart is surely emerging from your mouth. Believe that!
Have you reached your goals or are you merely just stuck-just barely making it or do you have an excuse for everyday of the week? What’s your deal?
Well, of course-I had to turn inwards and look at myself-mentally and physically. There was a time when I was a die hard fitness fanatic and freak! Gym rat you could say! I lived to go to the gym and just get lost in my thoughts, sweat and strength. What happened? Could it be lack of determination, self-discipline, motivation, perseverance-negative self talk. The outside shows what’s really going on, on the inside. The outside is NOT what it use to be! It’s not that bad, but it definitely isn’t where I thought it would be.
I realize that my faith is WEAK! I build my house on sinking sand, not the rock! Self discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state. My emotional state controls me, I do not control it! Self control is imperative while living this lifestyle. I lack it in pretty much every way, shape and form.
I would say to myself, umm, yeah I can do this. I can get up at 3.50am and run, I can lift at night, I can do it, but then the storms come and its like a black cloud is directly above my head. I go from I can to hitting the snooze button, not preparing food ahead of time, cutting workout shorts or even worse just not working out. Then it becomes there is not enough time to do it, I’m tired, I’m joking myself, there is no way In hell I could ever look the way I want to. I can’t, I just can’t. I don’t have the drive or motivation to do this anymore. I’m just tired. It takes most people a very long time to build a strong mindset, but it takes days or even hours to completely destroy it. Amazing!
So, it came to me a knot on the inside, it’s time to pull yourself together and have faith. Have faith in your goals, have faith that you will get it right. Yes, times before you have failed, you have got lazy, but YOU didn’t really have faith. you were lukewarm w/ your thoughts. It’s time to be HOT again! It’s time to get serious.
See I am one of those people that have an excuse for everyday of the week, yet I am the one that can push and motivate anyone. I was told by a co-worker, you should be a motivational speaker, because you make me feel like I can take on the world! That was hilarious, because although I can motivate everyone else, I CAN NOT MOTIVATE MYSELF!
I see my circumstances, I see my habits, I see everything but what I want to see-15%bodyfat! In the very pit of my gut, I feel like, I’m destined to carry access body fat, I’m destined to not be good enough, I’m destined to merely inch along-like the snail. I’m addicted to sugar. I can’t go w/out a sugar fix. You see even though I say a lot of things jokingly-there is truth to it. Could that be why I have never really reached my goal? I don’t know, but I do believe that has something to do w/ it. I’m so worried and focused on everyone else, that I put myself off.
I work 10 hour days, that was my biggest excuse-I don’t have the time. I can’t get up early, because I stay up late to do other things. Well, it came to me, if YOU can’t get up at 3.50am, fine-then YOU TAKE THE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WILL WORK FOR YOU! PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOU PLAN! EXCUSES ARE LIKE *******S, EVERYONE HAS ONE AND THEY ALL STINK!
I had to take the time to sit and look at my goals, what I wanted to accomplish and how in the hell I was going to do it! I was given programs by people and I had made programs for myself, but time…I had to carve out time.
You know, my girlfriend is a busy lady, yet she busts her butt in the gym, religiously! She works fulltime, teaches spin class during the week, goes to school part time, and still makes time to get in her workouts and make time for her husband! What in the world is MY PROBLEM!
I realize that I still have pity parties for myself! Not as bad as they use to be, but when I have them, they last way to long! I get depressed, I get down, I feel drained. Sometimes, we have to do what we DON’T WANT TO DO in order to get to where we are going!
If you try to take a short cut, you have to ask yourself, what is being cut short, because eventually it will come back to bite you in the ass! I realize that going to the gym is more then physical action, it’s more MENTAL THEN ANYTHING! I could sit here at my desk for the next 10 hours and say, damn-I hate to go to the gym and by the time 4.45pm comes around, I won’t go, why-because I have been saying I hate to go all day.
So, basically what I’m saying is that you need to get your mind right, you have to have FAITH! you have to believe that you can achieve the things that you set out to do! You have to believe it before you even set foot in that gym. You have to believe it in your heart and soul that, you can! Faith w/out works is dead. It says it in the bible!  See, a lot of people clown the bible! Oh, the bible is old, the bible isn’t about anything-its just about crazy fairytales. Man, if you want real truth-GO TO THE BIBLE! I guarantee it will not only enlighten you, but it will move you and give you clarity in life!
Here are a few things that I have read and grasped from that ‘Good Book’, (I’m not quoting here, so bare w/ me),
In the book of Proverbs, it says gather all the things that you need and then go outside and build your house! What does that mean, BE PREPARED! Get prepared and then do your thang!
Faith by works is dead! You can have faith, but if you are working, acting, speaking on that faith-it’s dead!
In the book of Matthew, it says, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks! Hell, is this NOT what all these motivantional speakers have been telling us! How about the secret?? Man, it all came from the word of the Lord in my eyes!
The truth will set you free! Once you realize what is holding you back or down, you will be free to propel up, move towards your goals! But if you live in the dark and denial, there is no way you can see your way to the finish line! Feel me?
Then there is another verse, as a man believeth in his heart, so he is-What’s in your heart? What do you think about yourself? That you can or that you can’t? Are you living in an excuse filled world? Are you letting your circumstances shape you into what YOU do NOT want to be?
As iron sharpens so does a man sharpen his friend. Who are YOU hanging out w/? Who’s conversation are you entertaining? Are you around people that can push up or pull you down? Are your friends planting positive and motivating thoughts in your head and heart? Are they building you up or pulling you down? Birds of a feather flock together! Look at who you are entertaining and if they are positive uplifting-keep them around! A lot of times, the people around us that truly know us and love us, see more in us then we see in ourselves!
Many people in the gym say, heather, you have such great potential! You would surely do well if you just put your all into it! I am amazed at the way that women compliment my cuts and my know how and seek advice from me, yet when I see me-I see everything that is wrong and nothing that is right! I am amazed when people read my blogs and are like, damn! You hit a cord with me! You motivate me! You encourage me! Yet, I don’t think I do anything great! Even down to the person I’m dating! He gets on my nerves, you’re to smart not to go to school-you need to go back to school! You’re to smart to do what you do! I just sit there and I’m like, you have got to be kidding me! I’m not that smart, I’m just not stupid.
See, the people around me have more faith in me then I have in myself or my dreams!
So, here is a bit of advice-
1.       Have faith
2.       Plant positive words and thoughts in your mind
3.       don’t focus on circumstances or anything else, focus on what you want to achieve
4.       Gather everything up to build your house, then go outside and build it!
5.       watch who is sharpen you! Find some powerful people and be their friend! Find fit people and they will push you to be fit! Find someone who is smarter then you! Do you understand me?
6.       truth is a light unto your path! Get real w/ you, you can lie to the world and everyone in it, but do NOT lie to you! The truth will set you free and it will light your path and allow you to reach your goals
7.       Faith without works is dead, back that faith up w/ work! Be self disciplined, if you can’t be self disciplined or if you don’t know how to be self disciplined, get around some people that can teach you!!!!
Lastly, Grab your dreams like a pit bull! Pit bulls are known for lock jaw-once they lock up, that’s it! Grab your dreams and bite down on it like a pit, do not let it go and remember you past does NOT define your destiny. Your past does NOT define you!
I’m a not who I want to be yet, but THANK GOD I AM NOT WHO I USE TO BE!
Yours in love, health, fitness, and sweat!
H.H.