Sunday, July 19, 2009

How Bad Do You Want It?







Tim McGraw has a good song the goes "How bad do you want it? How bad do you need it?...." That's a question I have to ask myself everyday about staying healthy or doing the best I can with where I am. Am I going to choose the easy route or the harder one? I'm really convinced that success in this and a lot of other things is about two things: paying attention and commitment.

I listen to the Dave Ramsey show all the time. His advice to people about how to run their personal finances, get out of debt and stay out of debt is awesome. One of the things I have noticed that seems to be the common theme that runs through the reasons people who call in say they have some incredible credit card debt or student loan debt, etc. are:
  • I just wasn't paying attention

  • I don't know how it happened

  • It slipped by me

  • I took my eye off the ball
It's easy to do, isn't it? All of a sudden one day we wake up and we're in a pickle! How did it happen? Well, it turns out it happens in plain sight. Just not in our line of sight because we either forgot to pay attention to the relevant facts or just ignored them! You know how your mom always told you to look both ways before you cross the road? Are we still looking? I've gained five pounds recently and I realized I've allowed some old bad habits to slip back into my life. Old pre-Weight Watchers habits. So I have to become more alert to what I'm thinking about eating and re-commit to myself to get rid of that stupid five pounds. And I will.


We're all so incredibly busy these days. I talk to colleagues all over the country and they agree that the rpm's on the old hamster wheel have definitely increased. So there is so much to have to pay attention to. But if we want to continue to do all the things we want and need to do, first we have to stay healthy or get as healthy as we can. I know I have readers/followers with cancer and other health conditions and you are dealing the best you can with them. Huge hugs to you and I pray you are blessed with recovery. You know what commitment is!


As you may have read in a past blog, my husband has Stage IV lung cancer. So I'm of course of real advocate of smoke cessation. And we don't know if smoking was what got him or the chemicals he lived around on the farm when he was a kid or what, but we know smoking greatly increases risk for all sorts of things - especially lung cancer. He has been cancer-free for six months, but as all of you know who are struggling with cancer, it's three months at a time. But he feels really good right now. Well, we played golf this weekend with his brother and we only had a threesome so they teamed us up with a young guy in his early thirties. Nice guy, good player. Had a nice girlfriend along for the ride. But he chain smoked the whole 18 holes! Oh, I went back and forth with myself about saying anything. I believe there are no coincidences and I finally thought maybe I was supposed to talk to him. Turns out he had done some landscaping for us and he recognized Les so there was a connection.


So as we wrapped up and were headed for our cars I stopped him and told him about Les and all that we'd been through and that I didn't want him to have to go through that himself. We talked about it for a few minutes and he was very open to talking about how he's tried to quit. Maybe he will. But it will be paying attention to when he gets the urge to smoke and commitment to gutting out those times using a different behavior that will get him through. Wanting health more than cigarettes. I didn't see that glint in his eye, but sometimes things sink in later.


Anyway, this has gone kind of long, but I just want to encourage all of you in blogland to keep your eyes on the ball and stay committed to YOU! You are so very precious and part of what you have to give the world is still to come. Live to give it!










6 comments:

  1. Interesting post, Ann~ I started a very healthy nutritional program because I felt old for my age, with a few too many health challenges~ As an added bonus, I dropped an amazing 52" of body fat, and the health challenges, well, let's just say...I feel very young for my age now. We really do benefit from feeding our bodies good nutrition~

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  2. Good morning hon!!! I am a sooooo with you here!! Being present and paying attention to all aspects of our lives!!!
    I am happy to report that Jim is in the process of stopping smoking as we speak!! I'm thrilled!!
    Hugs, Sarah

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  3. Amazing post Ann. I am a friend of Sarah's and that's how I ended up here on your blog. When I read your post I knew we had something very big in common. My husband is also a cancer survivor. Tonsil cancer, a direct result of smoking for 25 years. He had already quit 1 year before he was diagnosis ed. So my hat's off to you because I know what you've been through. I also quit smoking 3 years ago. Unfortunately just because one has quit doesn't mean the damage is not already done. So I wish with all my heart those who are young and smoke would quit.

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  4. Wow, Anne, this is such a provocative and truthful post! I love it! rich in its wisdom and truth. This one will take some digesting to get all the great stuff in it! I love how you equated our oversights in the health realm to Dave Ramsey's show. It's so true....take our eye off the ball for too long and boy, we get our comeuppance! I'll keep you both in my prayers and hope that that cancer stays well away from your family! xo

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  5. There is a swan waiting for you on my blog.....

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  6. Dear Anne,

    Amen to this post. What a wonderful blog you have. You are so right about paying attention to what really matters to you, and that goes hand in hand with appreciating the little everyday things. I'm glad your husband's cancer has gone away, and I will pray that it stays far away for a long, long time.

    Thank you for your beautiful message on my blog. I did feel your love and the hugs, and they have helped me heal. Thank you, thank you.

    xoxo
    bella

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