LIFE LESSONS: Making that Change

‘…let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think…’

The Bible, New Living Translation, Romans 12:2

As 2011 comes to a close, many of us are full of hope about what the New Year holds. We’re busy making plans, excited about all we’re going to achieve in 2012. This is going to be the year that we make that change. For lots of people that change involves losing weight.

Luckily for those of you reading this blog, I’m an expert on losing weight.

I’ve lost weight several times in my life. The only problem is I usually put it all back on again!

Five years ago, I lost a staggering 35 kilos (about 77 pounds). I was the slimmest I’ve ever been in my whole life. Well, since I was 16 anyway. I looked great and I felt great. Unfortunately, I’d done a lot of wrong things to get there, and over the next 18 months or so, I watched helplessly as all those excess kilos slowly piled back on. 

Still, you know what they say about learning from your mistakes. Since that fiasco, I’ve begun the process of losing weight again – only this time in the right way. I’ve lost 10 kilos so far, and maintained that weight loss for some months now. Now I’m ready to continue the count down towards my goal weight, and the countdown begins, you guessed it, in 2012!

As I continue to remind myself and put into practice the lessons that I learnt from my sorry episode, I’d like to share them with you too.

These are life lessons. They’re not just for those of us who face challenges with our weight.  You can apply them to any issue that you’re dealing with.

LESSON 1: You are what you think

To change your life, you have to change your thoughts.

If you want to change who you are, or what you do, you have to change the way you think.

It’s that basic.

Watch what you allow into your head. Change what you ‘feed’ your mind.

Be particular about who or what you listen to.

Remember GIGO: garbage in = garbage out.

Let me give you a practical example.

Many times, I leave my house full of optimism, feeling good about myself and the 0.37 kilos that my digital scale shows that I’ve lost that morning – only to bump into a ‘friend’ who  says something like, “Gosh you’ve put on a lot of weight haven’t you? Are you eating too many cakes? Have you stopped exercising?” (Since when did commenting on someone’s body size become an acceptable form of greeting anyway?!).

In the past, a remark like that would really bruise my self-esteem. I’d start feeling bad about myself and end up finding solace in those aptly named comfort foods!

Not anymore!

 I made a decision.

I can’t control what other people choose to say; but I can control how I choose to respond.  

I choose to think positively about myself.

I may not be where I want to be, but I thank God I’m not where I used to be! I’m making progress and that’s what matters. The change may not be visible yet, but change has started where it matters most – in my mind.

What wrong ways of thinking could hinder you from reaching your goals in 2012? What limiting thought patterns have sabotaged your progress in the past?

Replace every negative thought with life-giving thoughts today.