Enough is Enough (Do you want to be happy or not?)

Please excuse me…for some reason I am in the mood to rant.  This doesn’t happen often but when it does, watch out : )  I just need to get something off of my chest so here it goes…

I began in this industry 16 years ago and let’s just say I have heard every excuse in the book for why someone can’t exercise or commit to a nutrition and exercise routine.  I have heard everything from “I can’t start exercising right now because I am getting my kitchen remodeled”…huh?  (I guess she keeps her elliptical next to the fridge) to “I refuse to exercise because I think sweat is gross”.  These may sound outlandish but they were heard with my own ears.

Some of the excuses I get are comical but they are also frustrating.  Whether it’s lack of time (the worst excuse in the world), illness, lack of knowledge; excuses are just that…excuses.  Excuses are peoples way of avoiding the perceived “pain” of committing to an exercise routine when in reality the real pain is a life void of health, energy, self confidence, and most importantly happiness.

Well, enough is enough!

This is real life and most of us live in the real world (except for the the lady who couldn’t exercise because her kitchen was being remodeled-I’m not sure what crazy culinary world she is living in).   Since when can anything of worth be accomplished without hard work?

I can’t tell you how often I hear, “I can only workout 2-3 days a week.  That’s all I have time for.”  Well guess what?  That’s not enough!

When you began a new job or career I am sure you wanted to be successful.  When you were hired did you tell your boss that you are thrilled to have the job but you can only commit to 2 days a week because that’s all you have time for?  Why not?  Because there would have been consequences…like getting fired!

When you had kids (if you have them) did you only feed them and care for them 3 days a week because your schedule was just too chaotic?  No, you made the kids a priority so their needs  were always met.  Had you not there would have been consequences.

When you got married did you say “I promise to take thee in sickness and health…but only when the schedule allows because work is bananas these days”?  Of course not… Unless your name is Tiger Woods you make time for your spouse because the consequences of not doing so are huge (i.e. an unhappy marriage or divorce)

So I ask, what are the consequences of neglecting your health and fitness?  Are they not equal to or worse than what I described above?  While most of the consequences of this neglect are well known:    obesity, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low energy, increased risk of heart disease, trouble sleeping, low self-esteem, DEATH, etc; there is one consequence that is often over looked…happiness or lack thereof.

This may seem silly or a bit generic but isn’t happiness the one thing we are ALL in search of?  What is life without happiness?  I will submit to you that ultimate happiness is not attainable unless you have health AND fitness.  This may seem a bit trite coming from a health and fitness professional but the facts here are indisputable.  How happy can you be when you feel like crap?  How happy can you be when you have little to no self confidence due to your weight?  What kind of life is it when you struggle to look in the mirror?  Can you really be the best wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, or friend under the circumstances?  There is absolutely no way.

I think sometimes people convince themselves that they are happy being overweight.  They brag that they are “large and in charge and proud of it”.  When I hear this I am reminded of an interview I saw a few years ago with Queen Latifah (you know the budding actress and hip-hop “Goddess”).  She is overweight and was asked how she feels about it.  She gave the typical, “I love my body”, “I am happy being overweight”, “I feel that I am a role model for curvy women everywhere”, etc.  Not one calendar year later she became a spokesperson  for Jenny Craig.

How happy could she have been to become a spokesperson for a weight loss company.  Sure she got paid but do you really believe she was happier being overweight?  No, she just convinced herself that she was.

I believe that when people come to me for help with their health and fitness it is not weight loss that they are truly looking for.  Sure they want to lose 10, 15, 20 lbs or more but what they really want is to be happy.  They hope that losing weight and getting fit will bring them the happiness they had earlier in life or never had at all.  The problem is that most people quit before happiness is attained.  Take minute to think about this.  Does this apply to you?  No…don’t keep reading.  Stop and think, I’ll wait… : )

If it does apply to you then everything I wrote above should make sense.  I am not trying to say that being healthy and fit alone will bring you ultimate happiness but is sure helps.  It’s like when people say that money won’t buy happiness, well it doesn’t hurt.  I am just saying that being happy without it is next to impossible.

I’m sure there are some who are reading this and vehemently disagree and that’s okay.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything I say.  But for those who get it and truly want happiness, your health and fitness is a great place to start.

So that’s why I say enough is enough.  If the risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc are not enough of a motivator (and apparently they are not because obesity rates continue to sky rocket) then how about happiness.  The fact that we as a society can turn our backs on health and fitness when the benefits are so vast is beyond me, but that is exactly what we are doing.

The ultimate quest in life for human beings is happiness and health is a necessary tool in achieving it.  So rid yourself of excuses.  Do not allow yourself to sabotage your life’s dream.  And sabotage is exactly what it is.  Whether you are remodeling the kitchen or you find sweat to be yucky, let nothing stand in the way of you becoming a better wife, husband, mother, or father.  Let nothing stand in the way of achieving health, fitness, peace of mind, serenity, and above all else…happiness.

Okay, I just stepped off of my soap box.  Hopefully this rant has inspired somebody to get up, take control, and go find happiness. Because it is not going to come find you!

Cheers!
Jason

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