Last week I talked about commitment and shared that it required a willingness to:
1. Change the way you think
2. Be honest with yourself
3. Trust the process regardless of what it looks like and how long it takes
This week, let’s look at 2 more prerequisites of commitment :
4. Are you willing to invest money in your health?
Are you willing to spend money on your health? Healthy foods, exercise clothing, gym memberships, exercise equipment, and personal training will cost you. Getting results will cost you financially; it is never free. Think of the money you’ve invested in your gadgets and toys, clothes, purses, nails and hair—all these things cost you.
I grew up in a home where paying to go to a gym was unheard of. My mother reminded us of the exercise (I called it slave-labour) she and her sisters had to do everyday when they were children as part of their weekly house-hold chores. Although she did not have to carry buckets of water on her head for miles and miles everyday, she made us understand that exercise was a natural result of working to survive and not as something to lavish upon yourself to look good. As I grew up it was difficult to understand why anyone would pay money to exercise and believed that exercise was vanity. I had lots of re-programming to do to develop new healthy mindsets about the benefits of exercise.
The financial investment does not have to be a big one. Depending on your budget, it might involve allocating some of your grocery budget for fresh fruits and vegetables; shopping for some weights in a second hand store; investing in a good pair of running shoes or you may even be able to invest in a personal fitness trainer a few times per week. What’s important is that you understand that your commitment to your health should also be a financial one.
5. Are you willing to pay the price?
Apart from financial costs, there are also other costs to consider; for example, the cost of your comfort. Are you willing to wake up earlier to exercise (or stay up later)? Are you willing to reduce or eliminate certain kinds of foods? The truth is; we want to achieve our goal as long as it’s not too hard. Yet the small percentage of the population that’s got what we want said “Yes,” they were willing to pay the price.
People seem to drool at Michelle Obama’s arms but how many of us would be willing to wake up at 4:30 am every morning to exercise like she does? If most us were honest with ourselves, we would rather stay in our present condition than forego our sleep. And what about food? Are you willing to nibble on some fruits at the birthday party while everyone else is enjoying big slabs of birthday cake?
Thankfully we’re not left on our own to do this or any other great tasks. God’s word is rich with promises that he will help us in our times of need when we call on him. (Matt. 11:28, 2 Cor 12:10, John 16:33, Eph. 6:10-11, Phil 1:6, and Heb. 12:11) Achieving your health goals is a blending of FAITH in God to help you develop new habits and mindsets with ACTION on your part to do the work. No one else can do this part for you. No one else will exercise for you or follow you around all day to make sure you only eat healthy foods. At the end of the day, you’re the only one in control of how successful you will be. Now, you can pray for strength for the journey (and I suggest you do) but the journey is yours and yours alone to take.
If you’re anything like me, you probably wish the journey were easier a lot of the times but I am reminded that it is during the more challenging times that I am strengthened:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”~ James 1:2-4
Are you ready to renew your commitment to your health journey?
Until Next Week,
