I am a firm believer in “what you believe is what you become,” even if you don’t wholeheartedly believe what you’re telling yourself in the moment. Let me explain.
On most days—even before the pandemic—I have been known to wear gym clothes. People ask me why? The answer is I dress the way I feel most comfortable, and that represents my lifestyle. When I was working in a hospital, I wore scrubs. Since then, athletic wear has been my uniform.
I tell myself every day that I’m a middle-aged athlete. Does this mean I should be on a Wheaties box? No, but I know that what I think and say to myself, over and over again, starts to become a belief and part of who I am.
I wear gym clothes and see myself in them every day. It reiterates to me that I am someone who cares about exercise. I also believe that people who exercise tend to eat healthy because who wants to waste all the hard work on a Big Mac? Not me.
People who work out and eat well and constantly compete (with themselves) to do better fall into the athlete category in my book. This depiction of an athlete is what I believe. Therefore I behave in accordance with my belief. If I did work out and then go to the drive-through window for food, that would contradict my belief system.
You may be thinking, “wearing some gym clothes isn’t going to inspire any great changes in my lifestyle, Jill!” The point here is that it is part of MY belief. Wearing gym clothes might not inspire a shift in your habits or beliefs about yourself…but start thinking about what WILL?
I know this all may sound a little silly. You might have a hard time seeing yourself as any kind of athlete. I get it, I never saw myself as one either until I DECIDED to change the way I think about myself and what living a healthy lifestyle looks like.
Practice the habits of the person you want to be. What we think we become. What do you want to become?
Your friend and advocate,
Jill
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