I'm always on the lookout for words or things that motivate and inspire me. Regardless whether they're found in the Holy Scriptures, promptings from above, General Authority speeches, books, magazines, blogs (this is a big source of inspiration for me right now), or just wonderful friends' and family utterings, I try to take them all in.
One of the feeds I receive every day is from Livestrong.com. The one I got today is so good, worth posting it here. And because when this blog becomes a book may be hard to access the actual link (you'd need a computer and all do get to it), I'm copying and pasting it all here. Happy reading! (I bolded a couple of paragraphs, my favorites.) :)
The New Motivation Secret
Posted by abornstein
September 12, 2011
This editor’s letter will be—in many ways—the end of an era. I’m making a dramatic change that will inevitably impact every decision I make for the rest of my life: I’m getting married. But this letter is not about me or my wonderful fiancé. It’s about you, and discovering the real purpose of health and fitness.
Marriage is viewed as an eternal commitment to someone else. It's for some people and not for others. But as I prepare to take sacred vows, I'm thinking more about myself than I anticipated. Most people see marriage as the moment when life becomes less about you and more about “us.” But I couldn’t help but think that this decision will make my health more important than ever—and not for the reasons you may think. In fact, getting married has opened my eyes to a new source of motivation that can help you unlock your potential.
People say that the key to marriage is simple: “Happy wife, happy life.” And while this is undoubtedly true, my ability to keep my future wife happy depends on my own ability to find health and happiness within myself. I need to take care of myself because someone else is now dependent on me. My health, my actions, and my decisions can’t be selfish if I want to ensure the happiness of my wife, and improve the quality of our life.
This isn’t to say that you can’t be an individual within in marriage. Individuality is a part of life. But carelessness is not. Or at least there should be no room for it when it comes to your health. We oftentimes damage our bodies with bad behaviors because we can. No one feels the consequences except for us—or so we think. That’s what hit me about marriage: My pain is now shared by someone else. The sad thing is, it shouldn’t have taken me so long to figure it out.
I come from a big family. I have loving, incredible parents and three brothers. And over the years, my active way of life has put them through more hardship than I ever imagined. I’ve broken broken bones, torn muscles, had multiple concussions, and even flirted for several years with being significantly overweight. It was stress on my body, and undue pain on my family. While I couldn’t have prevented all of my medical issues, I could have done more about it.
Your health is personal, but its impact is collective. You are the only person who can change your life. But the motivation to live inspired can derive from a greater recognition that you are more important than you think. And by living healthy, you enable yourself to contribute more to your life and others.
One of our most important gifts is our ability to care, help others and create change. And whether you are single or married, come from a big family or small—your ability to succeed at those tasks will always hinge on your health. When you feel better and look better, you perform better. Being healthy creates outward energy, and also builds an internal confidence that elicits positive change.
As I prepare for the next stage in my life, I am beyond thankful that I've met such an incredible and irreplaceable woman. But I'm also more determined than ever to improve my fitness and nutrition. Most people lift weights, run, or eat well so that they can look better. And while those are great goals, they are just scratching the surface of your potential. Once we all realize that taking care of ourselves can help you improve the lives of others, then we'll have the added motivation we need to achieve our goals.
-Adam Bornstein
One of the feeds I receive every day is from Livestrong.com. The one I got today is so good, worth posting it here. And because when this blog becomes a book may be hard to access the actual link (you'd need a computer and all do get to it), I'm copying and pasting it all here. Happy reading! (I bolded a couple of paragraphs, my favorites.) :)
The New Motivation Secret
Posted by abornstein
September 12, 2011
This editor’s letter will be—in many ways—the end of an era. I’m making a dramatic change that will inevitably impact every decision I make for the rest of my life: I’m getting married. But this letter is not about me or my wonderful fiancé. It’s about you, and discovering the real purpose of health and fitness.
Marriage is viewed as an eternal commitment to someone else. It's for some people and not for others. But as I prepare to take sacred vows, I'm thinking more about myself than I anticipated. Most people see marriage as the moment when life becomes less about you and more about “us.” But I couldn’t help but think that this decision will make my health more important than ever—and not for the reasons you may think. In fact, getting married has opened my eyes to a new source of motivation that can help you unlock your potential.
People say that the key to marriage is simple: “Happy wife, happy life.” And while this is undoubtedly true, my ability to keep my future wife happy depends on my own ability to find health and happiness within myself. I need to take care of myself because someone else is now dependent on me. My health, my actions, and my decisions can’t be selfish if I want to ensure the happiness of my wife, and improve the quality of our life.
This isn’t to say that you can’t be an individual within in marriage. Individuality is a part of life. But carelessness is not. Or at least there should be no room for it when it comes to your health. We oftentimes damage our bodies with bad behaviors because we can. No one feels the consequences except for us—or so we think. That’s what hit me about marriage: My pain is now shared by someone else. The sad thing is, it shouldn’t have taken me so long to figure it out.
I come from a big family. I have loving, incredible parents and three brothers. And over the years, my active way of life has put them through more hardship than I ever imagined. I’ve broken broken bones, torn muscles, had multiple concussions, and even flirted for several years with being significantly overweight. It was stress on my body, and undue pain on my family. While I couldn’t have prevented all of my medical issues, I could have done more about it.
Your health is personal, but its impact is collective. You are the only person who can change your life. But the motivation to live inspired can derive from a greater recognition that you are more important than you think. And by living healthy, you enable yourself to contribute more to your life and others.
One of our most important gifts is our ability to care, help others and create change. And whether you are single or married, come from a big family or small—your ability to succeed at those tasks will always hinge on your health. When you feel better and look better, you perform better. Being healthy creates outward energy, and also builds an internal confidence that elicits positive change.
As I prepare for the next stage in my life, I am beyond thankful that I've met such an incredible and irreplaceable woman. But I'm also more determined than ever to improve my fitness and nutrition. Most people lift weights, run, or eat well so that they can look better. And while those are great goals, they are just scratching the surface of your potential. Once we all realize that taking care of ourselves can help you improve the lives of others, then we'll have the added motivation we need to achieve our goals.
-Adam Bornstein
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