I'm sure that you have seen this quote multiple times, in multiple different places, but I wonder if you have ever actually applied it's meaning to something you are going through in your life.
I have my degree in Psychology and have always been fascinated my human beings; why they do the things they do, why they think the things they think, why/how they grow into the people they do. And throughout my fitness journey, that fascination has grown and taken a slightly different route; an exploration of the mental aspect of Health, specifically Exercise.
There is an entire field dedicated to Exercise Psychology and I do not by any means identify my random musings with the detailed clinical work these professionals do. But, every day, I do have to navigate the part which the brain plays in an individual's momentum, commitment and performance. Even in moments/conversations that are "...really?" to anyone else looking in from the outside!
You're doctor tells you that you have to lose 50lbs or there will be serious health ramifications. Most people would question you're sanity if you did not immediately take action on that advise. Someone close to you is suffering from the life-threatening side-effects of poor nutrition yet you continue your habits of consuming nutritionally devoid foods. Not so smart.
Look, the whole 'comfort zone' thing and the desire to stay within it's realms are simply the brain's way of keeping you safe; safe from any mental distress. And Fear can be categorized as mental distress. Fear of failure, fear of change, fear of the unknown, sometimes even fear of the realization of goals and dreams. And I think that you would agree that, for the most part, this is illogical. When you are wanting to start some kind of health journey, there is usually a driving force behind that decision that has enough power to get you at least to the point of looking for help. The problem is that when we come across the solutions to the problems we are facing, they require a level of discomfort and some kind of new action. Bam! Sirens go off and our brains throw up the firewall of Fear that stops us in our tracks. Phew! That was close! It's ok now, nothing to see here, we are safe once again! Our brain just told us that we can't and, because of that damn Fear sensation, we believe it.
You know what I think? I think that Fear is a liar. All day, every day, it tells us little fibs to 'keep us in our place' a.k.a out of the danger zone. But what if you chose to believe something different? What if the white knights of Courage, Commitment and Dedication told you that you could? Would you (could you) believe them?
This fitness game, just like any other game we play in life, boils down to who wins the mental battle. And, ultimately, YOU CHOOSE.
Yep, whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right!
Either sign up for that fitness program or don't. Either eat healthy, nutritional food our don't. Either do one more rep than you did last time or don't. You choose.
But choose wisely, seek to win the mental battle and let the final whistle blow on the game YOU want to play.
Sabs xx
