i could never

Happy Thursday!  We’ve (almost) MADE it to the weekend!!!  I’m going to celebrate by taking the day off of blogging and letting my good friend (and future Blend bandit!), Amanda, tell you a little about a super fun fitness challenge that she’s starting NEXT week!!  Be sure to sign up!

———–

As a marathon runner, the only phrase I hear more frequently than “you’re insane” is “I could NEVER run a marathon”.  Having said this myself years ago, I understand the mindset that places limitations on our capabilities before we even try.

I’m not bringing this up to convince everyone to run a marathon. I really think no sane person does and only crazy people do more than one (I’ve done 6 now). Instead, I recognize this as a pattern that many of us repeat in different areas of our lives AND “I could never” may actually mean “I don’t want to” or “I’m afraid to fail” or “that change is too scary for me right now”.

When Lindsay recently posted about giving up a number of foods to heal her gut the response was frequently ”I COULD NEVER give up______”. These are the very words, I have uttered to people that give up chocolate for lent! But the truth is when I found out I was allergic to dairy and eggs, I was able to stop my morning egg habit overnight.

There was a time where you probably believed you could never ride a bike without training wheels, but when you remain focused on the goal and not the obstacles many things in life suddenly become possible. Because in that mind frame you are able to clearly see what you want and decide that it is a priority.

I would love to have six pack abs, but I could never….
I would love to own my own business, but I could never…
I would love to set up a foundation to help people, but I could never…

What are you telling yourself that you could NEVER do as a excuse not to try?

I’m not going to say you can do ANYTHING. Most of us will never win an Olympic Gold Medal or suddenly make ourselves taller or have a private jet landing outside our Oprah sized mansion…instead I’ll say if there is something that you want then get out of your own way and start taking action to make it a possibility.

Now I’m challenging you to break your own walls down.

Are you ready to break the I could never cycle? Here are a few quick tips

• Affirmations – You have to start telling yourself a different story and affirmations are one way to replace the negative self talk.
• Accept imperfection – One of the worlds most recognized models, Cindy Crawford, has a mole that could either be seen as an imperfection or a beauty mark. Perfect is overrated.
• Embrace failure – Be your own Michael Jordan and get cut from the team, then learn from it, grow and come back stronger.

Do you want some added support and encouragement as you create new habit and make changes to reach your goals? Check out the Spring Challenge hosted by Amanda, but move fast it starts on March 4th!

Amanda is a 6 time marathon finisher, certified personal trainer and passionate runner who shares stories, travels, workouts and recipes to help you enjoy the healthy living journey at RunToTheFinish.com.

———

QUESTION:  Name some of your Spring goals (fitness, health, whatever) that you’re hoping to attain!

splendid…lindsay