As October approached this year, I noticed that I was a little stressed out.  I wasn’t sure why, but my actions were making me aware of my stress level.  I found myself occasionally eating snack foods that I normally would not touch, considering portion sizes I normally would never consume, and trying to make excuses why I should not exercise.  I also noticed that I didn’t feel like going anywhere or seeing anyone.  What was wrong with me? 

This didn’t go on for very long before I sat down and had a long CHAT with myself.  After talking to myself, I came to the conclusion that I was a little depressed.  That is very unusual for me, and I needed to find out why.   As October 14^th approached, it dawned on me.  It was one year ago, October 14^th, that my father passed away.  Some of you may have seen the photo dedication to him at the end of “Cardio Collectibles” and “Mission Possible.”  He was sick in the hospital at the time, and he passed away a couple weeks later.  He was 79 years old.

Well, I had my answer.  I was feeling sad because of this monumental anniversary, and I hadn’t realized it.  This sadness was hiding underneath all of my daily activities and “to do” lists.  It was silently wreaking havoc on my relationships and health.  Left undetected, it would cause future consequences that would steer me away from my personal and business goals.  This is NOT ACCEPTABLE in my life!  Is it acceptable in yours?  This is why I would like to speak out about taking the time to talk to yourself.

Many times we don’t listen to that quiet voice inside of us or pay attention to our actions the way we should.  I’m here to say listen and watch – keep guard over your mind and your choices.  If you notice yourself moving outside your normal behavior, figure out why!  If you do not sit down and have a chat with yourself to dig for the reason why, you could go on and on until you have destroyed your health and even your relationships.

Just as important as listening to yourself is acting upon what you hear.  Our tendency, when things are not well, is to either ignore the message or stifle it with some sort of substance (i.e., alcohol, drugs, food, etc.)  This just delays the original problem, and adds a new problem.

Have you noticed yourself slipping at all?  Have you been eating too much because of something deeper inside you?  Maybe acting out of character or making poor choices because you are stifling that small voice?  If so, I challenge you TODAY to sit down and have a chat with yourself.  Get to the root of the problem.  Don’t stifle it or ignore it.  Get it out in the open and deal with it before it controls you and your future.

As for me, I will stop my hectic schedule just for a moment in time to honor my father and mourn his death again.  Then this “daddy’s girl” will pick herself up, dust herself off, and move on; having left no negative consequences on her health, fitness level, or relationships.  We can’t always control the entrance of negative issues into our lives, but we can control if, and how we deal with them.  In the book “The Winning Attitude,” John C. Maxwell wrote his own version of “Murphy’s Law;” it reads, “Nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right it will and at the best possible moment.”  Personally, I like Mr. Maxwell’s version better than Murphy’s!

Christi