Tuesday Motivation

Today the concept for thought and discussion is more mental than physical, but I think it can have a big impact on your physical goals. Play along with me here. Here's an excerpt from The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon all about surrounding yourself with positive people. This development book is written in story format instead of lecture format, which makes it an easy read. As you read the excerpt below, imagine the "success" the author is talking about is your success in losing weight and/or living a healthier lifestyle.



"It's not easy to deal with the negativity in the world but it's something that's got to be done. Your success and life are so important that you must surround yourself with a positive support team. No one creates success in a vacuum and the people we surround ourselves with have a big influence on the life and success we create. If you want to be successful you have to be very careful about who is on your bus. After all there are people who can increase your energy and there are people who can drain your energy. I call the people who drain your energy Energy Vampires and they will suck the life out of you and your goals and vision if you let them. They will cause an engine leak, make your ride miserable, or even worse slash your tires. But remember, George, don't take it personal. They are just part of the negativity that exists in the world. Your job is to do your best to eliminate any negativity on your bus and this includes negative people, no matter who they are. You got to be strong enough to tell people that you will not allow any negativity on your bus. You got to say this is where we are going and to get there we need a positive and supportive team and whoever is negative will be kicked off the bus or left at the station...Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's and everyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than everyone's doubt. After all, George, there will always be people who don't share your vision. There will always be the doubters who doubt, doubt, doubt, and doubt and tell you you can't do this and you won't be able to accomplish that. They think that dreams were meant for others but not for people like you and them. And there will even be people who don't want you to succeed because it makes them see their own weaknesses and failures. Rather than driving their own bus they are trying to ruin everyone else's ride...It's got to be a habit. Positive energy is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets the more powerful you become. Repetition is the key and the more you focus on positive energy the more it becomes your natural state. So when someone comes at you with negativity you will be able to respond with strength and positive energy. The more you do it the more natural it becomes."

"A man goes to the village to visit the wise man and says to the wise man, 'I feel like there are two dogs inside me. One dog is this positive, loving, kind, and gentle dog and then I have this angry, mean-spiriited, and negative dog and they fight all the time. I don't know which is going to win.' The wise man thinks for a moment and he says, 'I know which is going to win. The one you feed the most, so feed the positive dog.'"

Ok, so here comes the challenge: Grab a piece of paper and write out the 20 people you interact with the most, including family. Then decide if they are people who build you up with positive energy or if they are Energy Vampires. Then resolve to limit the time you spend in the presence of the Energy Vampires. We can't get rid of them or ignore them indefinitely, especially if they're in our families, but we can consiously choose to be around those friends the most who are positive and help us to believe in our dreams. I think every one of you on this blog falls in the positive people category for me! Doesn't it feel great?!?!?!

Bonus challenge, if you're feeling extra introspective today: Write out the 20 activities you do the most, ie. watch tv, read books, go for walk, exercise, browse online, shop, play with the kids, clean, etc. Decide which things really just seem to suck the positivity and energy out of you like an Energy Vampire. Is there a way that you can turn that activity into something more positive? Enlist the help of a friend or loved one to turn it into a fun thing? Or limit your time doing it?

There are just some things and some people that suck the energy out of us, or fill us with self-doubt. Become aware of which things those are and focus your energy today on those things which build you up and make you feel like you can accomplish your goals! Remember, you drive your own bus in life and you can say who's on it and who's not.