Day 141 The Art of Not Shooting Yourself In The Foot and Structural Integrity of Chairs 101

Day 141

The Art of Not Shooting Yourself In The Foot and Structural Integrity of Chairs 101

One of the key elements of this journey is doing things right in other areas of life. What I mean is, NOT doing things that make you feel bad will keep you in a positive frame of mind. Negative actions cause negative feelings and negative feelings make staying focused and on track much more difficult. The great thing about this? Getting things straight in other areas of life is a side effect of excelling on this weight loss transformation. The more I feel better about myself, the more I want to do better in everything else I do. It's basic psychology I'm pretty sure. Even with this wonderful little side effect, even the most in control person can do things that ultimately, without us even realizing it, can sabotage our success. Identifying these negative actions and zeroing in on correcting these little and sometimes big negatives can stop the self-destruct mechanism before it even has a chance. Staying positive isn't just an attitude, it's a critical combination of attitude and actions. When the actions and attitude stay in the positive category, then positive success happens. If one is out of balance, then it can throw the whole thing completely off course. It's like a sharpshooter who hits every target he aims for, shooting himself in the foot. I have to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot with negative actions and attitudes. Some might say “well, nobody's perfect!” Very true, but when “nobody's perfect” becomes an excuse and a way to rationalize bad choices and behaviors, then it becomes a problem. I'm not saying I have to be perfect, I'm far from it, but avoiding negative actions can really reinforce the positive momentum of this journey.

Where did that paragraph come from? Well, let's just say that a negative action today left me feeling depressed and lazy. It had nothing to do with my food intake or exercise output, but the effects of that action on my performance today were apparent. Instead of getting a good workout today, I napped. Even knowing that I'm less than 48 hours from my biggest weigh day so far, I still couldn't convince myself to lace up the shoes and get in there. So what now? Well, I've analyzed the behavior, I've discussed the effects of such behavior, and I've learned something about myself in the process. I can continue on this successful journey now...thank goodness.

Being able to separate yourself and really analyze your habits and behaviors effectively requires complete honesty within yourself. The excuses and little things we tell ourselves in order to make us feel better are completely destroyed in this process. “Nobody's perfect” can't be a permission slip for stupidity. It comes down to owning your decisions 100%, accepting the consequences of those decisions, dealing with the bad consequences and enjoying everything great in the good. It's true, nobody is perfect, but when the imperfection comes as a result of our own reckless behaviors and bad choices, then we have to look in the mirror to find the person responsible, and that's the only person that can make the positive changes to fix it.

Today I sat in a chair at work and heard a very familiar sound, but one I hadn't heard in some time. The chair made a noise like something broke. But as I braced myself for the fall, it didn't happen. I can't count the number of chairs that have fallen victim to my hugeness. Now that I think about it, I wish I would've kept all of the broken chairs in a pile somewhere for a nice “after” photo op. Surveying chairs and seating arrangements is an everyday thing for extremely overweight people. Upon entering a room, a fat person immediately calculates the sturdiness of every chair, taking into account the materials used for construction and the design. “Is that steel tubing? Looks good, but I better make sure it's not aluminum.” “Wow, cast iron, now we're talking, someone could sit in my lap and it wouldn't fail.” “Wait just a second, the seat is made out of wicker and the support relies on the bend of aluminum tubes without hind legs, I better pass.” “Ooh, white plastic patio chair, not good, no way.” “Uhg...folding outdoor chair with woven nylon strips and cheap aluminum construction, that's a $10,000 video waiting to happen.” “Uh oh, Formica lined 'row-a-booths,' definitely sturdy enough, but squeezing in one can cause internal injuries plus require the Jaws Of Life to get out, so uh, I'll just stand.” You get really good at it after a while. I use to be able to look at any chair and instantly tell you whether or not I would fit between the armrest and if the construction and sturdiness would support me. These days I'm starting to fit in more and more chairs that were once impossible and that feels really good. The chair today didn't break, but it wanted too! When I describe the positive feelings of this journey I often use the word “freedom.” And the freedom from worrying about the structural integrity of chairs and the seating arrangements in public places is something I look forward to enjoying. Just ask my family how many times we've walked into a restaurant and then turned around and walked out because I knew I wouldn't fit comfortably in the chairs or booths. Irene loves to sit in booths, but for our entire twenty years of marriage she's settled for “a table please,” because I couldn't fit in most booths. I'm starting to fit nicely in these places now and that's something great. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean