Today’s post is about me. Not a friend, not a client, not a neighbor… me. I love my morning coffee, from the smell of it brewing in my drip coffee pot, to the creamy tan color in my ceramic cup. I’m not a coffee snob, as much as I am a half and half radical. I read that it takes your mind/body/taste centers, 10 days of a regular ritual to change your taste buds, so I forced myself for 10 days to drink black coffee. After the 10th day, I could drink it without making the “icky yucky” face, but I didn’t enjoy it. There is a difference between tolerating something and enjoying it.
My point?
We all have something that we are not willing to give up. The challenge is to recognize when that “thing” is in the way of our success. The test of our ability to overcome and succeed is forward movement towards a goal. Our influence over our steps forward are rooted in our power to recognize when we are allowing something to hold us back. I’m speaking about our capacity to understand that “we limit ourselves” more than anything else.
My internal conversation is, “I can’t drink coffee without lots of half and half or light cream”
The angel on my shoulder says, “Oh, then don’t drink coffee”
The smug little red devil on my other shoulder helps me to adamantly shake my head and say, “I can’t do that”.
The angel (always so willing to compromise so that I can take little steps forward) says, “Ok, then how about using less or trying fat free half and half”
Meanwhile I’m not listening because the little red guy has my ears covered knowing it’s not what I want to hear…
NEWS FLASH
That little angel is your intuition, you are telling you, what you know. You already know that if you change something, some behavior, some habit, you will be rewarded with a different outcome. Whether it is getting up 10 minutes earlier each day to beat the traffic, or to get out and have a 3 minute walk… your intuition knows.
The devil is your ego. The BIG BOLD YOU, in you. It wants you to be comfortable, doesn’t want you to be challenged, or different or changed and assures you that you are the most important thing about you and keeping the status quo will keep you as comfortable as possible.
Guess what, sometimes you need to be a little uncomfortable if you are going to change. Sometimes you need to stretch in order to create a new normal. Sometimes you have to intentionally put the time aside to THINK. THINK through and don’t stop at the easy answers that are more like giving up… don’t stop at the “I can’t” answers that will come up with every question.
For some people it’s very scary to think that they are actually in control of … themselves. That they are the masters of their universe. 
But the fact is, if not you, then who? Who is better suited for determining your heart’s desire and purpose, than you? Believe me I know that many times we feel like we are slaves to circumstances and situations and I would encourage you to understand, that regardless of your responsibilities, you are in charge of what you accept and how you allow those responsibilities to affect you.
For me, I have added a little exercise to my routine and I have chosen to change my opinion of coffee. I have decided to change how I view my choice. My choice has nothing to do with the red devil on my shoulder, it has to do with me taking control. I like my coffee, I like it with half and half and because I choose to have it that way, I have added exercise to help offset the effects of the calories and fat. You see… the only reason I had these internal conversations with myself is because it seemed like the half and half was affecting something else I wanted; to lose a little weight.
This other thing I wanted included an internal conversation that was also filled with comments and shrugs of “I can’t”. I latched onto my coffee and the cream and blamed it for my lack of progress. Now that I’ve taken my major road block off the table, it’s amazing how it was quickly replaced (ha ha ha ha ha).
My Point? Anytime you say, “I Can’t” or “I Don’t” when you are talking to yourself about a change, you are talking yourself out of it. You are telling yourself, “why try, you will only fail”.
Life IS too short for talking yourself out of positive change… so, if you aren’t comfortable making a particular change, look at how that change will benefit you, and take another step towards that benefit.
For me? In addition to a little more exercise, I’ve also decided not to buy coffee “out” in the morning. I usually drink my pot of coffee in the morning, then head into the office about 9:00 and grab another BIG cuppa joe. I ditched my big cuppa joe, and coupled with exercise has created a huge difference. That success has led me to choose and implement other small steps and to experience additional change.
My Second Point?
Recognize your success! Revel in your Success! Use your victory as a spring board for evaluating your next step and TAKING IT! You can do it!
Congratulate yourself on your powerful choice and the empowering change in your life! And next time you hear yourself say, “I can’t” remember your triumph and say, “yes I can.” Remember that any step how small, is forward movement and use your past only to measure how far you have come!
Make your day, amazing.
Related articles
- Half and Half (ronniesz.wordpress.com)
- Mornings (queenwanderlust.wordpress.com)
- habits… (lijiun.wordpress.com)
- Want a change? Change your actions. Change your habits. Put in your time and effort (andreassozoreview.wordpress.com)
- 5 changes to make today to get lighter, leaner, and healthier (happygreenrunner.wordpress.com)
