“We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves.” – Tony Robbins

Why do so many people fail to get what they want out of life?

It’s not because they’re not capable.

It’s not because the man holds you down.

It’s not because there is some vast conspiracy set out by the Illuminati to keep you wrapped in a cloak of entertainment constantly telling you you’re somehow less capable and deserving than the rich and famous so you remain unmotivated and distracted from reality, what’s actually important in the world and you don’t LIVE you just exist in some type of state of vicarious hero-worship.

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On second thought….

But regardless, YOU control YOU.

You’re actions will ALWAYS equal your outcomes.

And your actions are driven by your beliefs.

Which are a product of the STORY you tell yourself.

“Your current behaviors are simply a reflection of your current identity. What you do now is a mirror image of the type of person you believe that you are (either consciously or subconsciously).”- James Clear, Business Insider

The story may or may not be true, but ultimately it is the reason you do what you do.

Story—–> Beliefs—–> Actions——-> Outcomes

Why the philosophy lesson?

1. It’s True
2. Minneapolis/ St Paul was deemed, by the Illuminati powers that be, the “Fittest City” in America for 2013.

First thought:

It’s REALLY F-ING COLD THERE!

Second Thought:

SNOW…………..

But they still get out and about.

So the question becomes; Why do these folks do what they do even though the conditions are less than perfect? Or even manageable….yet they still suck it up and get going.

And more so; why do some people take their health (and usually the overall quality of their lives) so seriously that they are literally, literally, willing to freeze their nuts off and others have an excuse for everything?

For me it all comes back to one thing:

Your Story.

In Minneapolis, a lot of people exercise.

It’s what people do.

It’s their Story.

Sure it’s on a city-wide level.

But we know that you’re most likely to have the habits and lifestyle of the people you associate with the most.

positivemed.com

So the story of Minneapolis is, evidently, health is important.

It’s what they do.

So why do so many people forgo exercise, even when they have much better non shitty conditions?

Their Story

If you tell yourself “I’m a lazy fat-ass” how can you possibly be anything other than that?

If you’re constantly thinking:

• I’m fat
• Out of shape
• Lazy
• Tired
• A quitter
• Weak

If that’s the story you’re telling yourself, you’re only going to stick with actions that reinforce those beliefs because our actions ALWAYS reinforce our story…

Sure you may get motivated and try to change something, think New Years Resolutions….

But when it becomes inconvenient , or challenging you’ll need mental and emotional reinforcement to keep going and we find that, kick in the pants, in our beliefs….what we do, how we act as a character in our story……

And if your story is you’re a lazy fat-ass….. You ain’t going to Spin class tonight.

I mean, you had to get up early and go to work and actually do work, no Pinterest or Facebook, whaaaaaaa?

And your boss yelled at you, and no shrimp salad was left, you REALLY wanted shrimp salad, and then you’ll have to do it again tomorrow…plus, you’re tired and the Kardashians are DVR’d.

How can you muster the strength when you have all those things against you, plus what does it matter,

“I’m just a lazy fat-ass”

It’s what I do, it’s another chapter in the book of Me, The Lazy Fat-Ass.

“overweight women’s brains were put off by exercise. ……..portion of the brain related to dealing with negative emotions lit up far more when they viewed images of moving than of sitting. Emotionally, the brain scans suggested, they anticipated disliking physical activity much more than they expected to disdain sitting.”- Gretchen Reynolds, NY Times

See how it’s easy to give in to the story that we tell ourselves?

But what if your story is:

• I persevere
• I workout
• I sweat everyday
• I appreciate my health/ body
• I’m not lazy
• I’m not tired

What would you do?

You’d probably get to the gym and knock some sh@t out.

How Do I Change My Story?

#1. Fake it Till You Make It:

Seriously, act like it, think it…..Lie to yourself if necessary.

Act like you’re the type of person you want to be.

“Feed yourself positive thoughts and good things, even if you don’t believe them just yet. Don’t say things that hold you back or put you down.”- Nia Shanks

Sure it feels like BS at first, but tell yourself that new story often enough and you may be surprised what you start to believe and do after a few weeks.

#2. Find people who have done or currently do what you’re trying to do.

Get a buddy, hire a coach, get a Guru, travel to Dagobah and find Jedi Master Yoda…..find someone who can lift an X-Wing out of the swamp show you the path and walk down it with you.

#3. Dress like it.

Go buy some workout clothes and put them on.

Enclothed cognition:

“That the clothes you wear directly affect how you think, and what you do. Dress like a doctor, you’ll pay more attention; dress like an athlete, you’ll be more inclined towards physical fitness. And clothing that bridges the divide between activewear and streetwear means you’ll wear it more often—and by doing so, you might feel like going to the gym a little bit more often.” –Jamie Wiebe, The Atlantic

Spend some money on some decent workout clothes.

“Look good, Feel Good, Feel Good, Play Good” – Herm Edwards

Yes, $80 workout pants are expensive.

So is a knee replacement?

So is heart surgery?

So are diabetes drugs?

So is not being able to enjoy life cause you’re constantly in pain, tired, sick, hurt, out of breath and miserable.

Ultimately, changing any aspect of your life comes down to YOU and your ACTIONS.

Simply knowing isn’t enough, lots of people know they should eat better, exercise more, save more money and floss every day.

Knowing isn’t enough.

You need to DO,

You need to ACT,

You need to:

Change Your Story