One of the obstacles we face in life regardless of what we do is discouragement. Just think about the areas of our life that discouragement can affect.
- Learning to play an instrument.
- Finishing your education.
- Completing a project.
- Our job.
- We can get discouraged about a church, or a civic club we belong to.
Losing weight and getting in shape is one of the hardest things to do. Consider just a few of the things that can make these tasks discouraging.
- It requires us to change our habits of eating and exercise.
- It takes a long time.
- Sometimes the results are slow.
- Sometimes there are setbacks.
- We know there will be obstacles.
- Sometimes people may discourage us.
So today I want to ask the question to you as a reader, "How do you handle discouragement?" Hopefully you are not answering going to the fridge and getting a bowl of Bluebell Ice Cream. Tomorrow. I'll give you some of my suggestions.
Find a group of people, however big or small, that support you. Maybe they're also going through whatever you're going through. Maybe they've been there, done that and know you can do it. Whatever, find positive people and LISTEN TO THEM.
ReplyDeleteHave a partner that is doing this thing with you; for accountability, support, and maybe even a little bit of healthy competition or comparison. Notice I said healthy. Their progress will not be the same as yours (especially I weight loss. Men tend to lose more/faster than women. That's just life), but you're still doing something TOGETHER.
And most importantly, don't listen to the nay-sayers! Don't let them bring you down! Take their words with a grain of salt. Or maybe two. Sometimes, a whole teaspoon or more is required. Take into account if they care for you. Maybe they don't want you to fail and feel bad, consider where their heart is, and continue to love them while proving them wrong.