You awake to a dire scenario and face an impossible decision. Left with little time to think and even less time to act, you make your choice.
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Yes, that’s me over there lying on the floor, gasping for air, sweating profusely. Yes, that’s a workout designed for women. Is this a surprise though? Women are really tough. Their bodies can carry babies for nine months and then give birth to them. My body can’t do that. Really, I should feel proud that I was able to keep up at all. That’s what I think to myself 2/3 of the way into the workout, while I stare up from the carpet and watch Rachel handle the workout routine like a fitness professional.
I went downstairs this morning after getting ready for my day. Put away the dishes, got some tea going, made a smoothie, and greeted the kids as they came down for breakfast. Sitting out was a pan of home-baked brownies.
These aren’t brownies from a box. Rachel, my wife, makes them from scratch. They are perfectly moist, chocolaty but not too rich, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. She made these two days ago and normally the whole pan would be gone by now, but I abstained. I asked myself, “What grown man eats brownies at 6:30 in the morning?” and I walked away.
Later I returned from a meeting, ground fresh beans for coffee and waited for the pot to brew. There they were, calling to me. I poured my coffee and strode upstairs to begin my work, brownieless.
After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen and reset it for the following day. It was a long afternoon, tidying the house, keeping up with my 6 boys, cooking a healthy dinner. It had been a long day. I had eaten well, taken my vitamins, worked out, had plenty of water… I looked at that pan of delicious brownies and said to myself, “You deserve this.”
“Deserve what?” I replied to myself. “A brownie?” I inquired hopefully.
“No. You deserve much more than a brownie.” I replied.
“I don’t get your meaning…” I said, confused.
“You deserve this.” I paused for effect, then I said, “Saying “no” to things you want now so you can get something you want more later builds self-discipline. Self-discipline is a great gift, a gift you’ve given yourself today.”
“Oh. Well, thank you!” I said.
“No,” I said, smiling, “thank you!”
Silliness aside, self-discipline really is a great gift. When we make commitments to ourselves and stick with them, we learn to trust ourselves more. Trusting yourself is a powerful tool in accomplishing your goals. Saying no to something you want can be difficult. Sometimes it may feel impossible, but the more you exercise your self-discipline, the more you’ll be able to push back against things that try to come between you and your goals. A pan of brownies may not weigh much, but it’s a good start for me. Maybe I’ll tackle some homemade cookies next.
I could give you a long list of reasons why I am motivated to be healthy. At the top of the list are the names of the people who are closest to my heart.