F2M2

It ain't all peaches and ice cream.  Life is life - it is the experiences you go through day in and day out.  While we all have our routines, many of our day to day experiences are unpredictable . . . and even our responses to some of that randomness is unpredictable as well.  We respond in a way that does not reflect who we are as a person.  Life can make us into someone we are not . . . someone we don't want to be and often times into the very opposite of who we are on the inside.  This is what happens when you allow life to control you rather than taking control yourself.

So how are you going to respond the next time you are met with a challenging memory/relationship/injury/situation?  It is time to take control.  Whether you have had a bad day or a litany of bad experiences - it is time to change your response.  Don't worry - I don't expect you to do it alone.  Even M2, the machine that I am…;)) needs help getting through rough patches in life.  Even if you are the type who is not good at asking for help - it's time . . . your current situation . . . how is that working for you?  If you can honestly say that you are on the right track and are not letting anything hold you down, then great!  But I suspect that we all could use a little extra support in our lives.

A really good friend of mine is dealing with a pretty serious situation and needed a release.  She wanted Cheetos and a Diet Dr. Pepper.  In the past, she has always gravitated towards something like this - an unhealthy snack and a soda.  This time - rather than justifying that unhealthy decision - she realized she had a choice . . . and y'all - she has worked REALLY hard to achieve where she's at right now.  So, what did she do?  She sent me and another friend a text - we both responded and encouraged her to take control of the situation (reaching for that snack & soda, obviously, was not taking control).  Another friend was able to get on the phone with her to ease her stress and encourage her to make a good CHOICE . . . and she did.  The end.  Only . . . it's not the end.  She will face more challenges, but she reached out for support and when she did she developed a new pattern, a new routine and one that will reward her in the weeks, months and years to come. 

We are all going to face challenges in our lives and 90% of us are dealing with issues we've had since we were kids.  There is no excuse or justification that flies for the bad eating habits/cigarettes/alcohol/Gossip (this can easily have a negative impact on your life) - what ever your vice.  We are all affected by our experiences and they never leave us . . . some of us wouldn't want them to as they have shaped who we are today.  Perhaps we would have chosen a different life if we HAD the choice, but we didn't and those experiences are ours . . . forever.  But NOW we have the CHOICE . . . and it affects your forever starting this very moment.  If you have been carrying around extra weight (literally and figuratively), it is time to take control of your decisions and your life.  If I can do it, you can do it - I know you can.  It is not easy, it takes a lot of effort and you will need support.  But it is achievable.  What do you have to lose?