Wednesday 7 February 2018

IT REALLY STARTS FROM THE MIND


“…but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
Apostle Paul (Romans 12:2a)

I remember the time, about two years ago (say in February 2016), when I decided to take my health into my own hands. Well I made that decision because I was told upon a health checkup that I had a lot of gallstones. I was not surprised since all I did was to eat fast and especially fried foods. Luckily, it was not obstructive!

Before then I noticed how much weight I had gained in months, as I  anxiously looked at myself in the mirror many times daily. I even packed most of my clothes away and got new ones. On my graduation day, I felt heavy and pregnant, with my friends and some family members unconsciously and offensively commented on my body. The long and short of it all is that I felt very bad about myself.

Initially the decision I made to change was not exactly a decision but a wish. All I did was to stay idle and imagine I looked better. This went on for weeks, still consuming the junk. Seeking an easy way out, I started researching on weight-loss pills and how effective they were. Though I was enticed to try them, I knew for sure as a biomedical scientist, that those pills could most likely be ineffective or have subsequent side effects. My inner person knew very well that taking bold steps to get out of my comfort zone would be the way out but I lacked that kind of motivation.

The first and most important step was setting my mind right for the process. In a “latter-day” world of speed – fast food, fast cars, speed boats and smart phones, it is very normal to want and expect immediate results. There are however exceptions to certain situations which include weight loss and fitness. I have learnt from my journey so far that this aspect of life usually takes time and so adopting the right mindset to the process is the key. That would make anybody stand undefeated! I learnt from my business mentors that if ever an individual wants change in their lives, they must be willing to change first their mindset and then their actions.

Transformation starts from feeding the mind with a lot of what you want to see in your life – a lot of visualization. It is from these that motivation is drawn. I began reading success stories of how much weight individuals had lost, how they did it as well as how they felt during the process. I kept looking at their before and after pictures. I watched a lot of workout videos and studied their eating patterns. I noticed changes in my thoughts as I did these. The motivation I drew got me off my lazy bum and caused me to work on myself. I learnt that it was a process and I had to take it a day at a time. My eyes were fixed on the “price body” (as I call it). I did it for me: my health and my life.
My routine changed. I felt good especially whenever I physically challenged myself. I (my mind) was bent on doing this. I looked forward to people changing their comments from “You’ve put on so much weight” to “Girl you look good!” and guess what? After five to six months of keeping at it, I had my first comment, “Are my eyes deceiving me or you are losing weight?” It came from a classmate at an event. Then I knew my hard work was showing results. What I did was not to please people but it definitely felt good when the comments were coming and I was motivated to do more.

The point I want to make is that the mind is a powerful magnet. Once it is fixed on something good or bad, trust me it will attract. “The Law of Attraction is fairly simple concept: what you think about, you create in your life, so through positive thoughts you can create a positive life” (Andrea Schulman, 2015). No wonder Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans made the emphasis in the first quote above. Indeed transformation starts from the mind. Feed it with good things and you will attract them!
I dare you!

She_Darevel
(Audrey Anim-Ankumah)
fitdarevels@gmail.com

2 comments:

  1. Indeed transformation starts from the mind. To achieve any concrete result, you must first have a mental picture of what you want to attain. Kudos dear.

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