Accepting Personal Responsibility

I don't plan on letting myself get off course and off track.

Stay focused.

Stay focused.

Stay focused.

Stay focused.

I've noticed my thoughts have been negative. My Inner Critic and my Inner Defender decided to start working over time and I am taking a stand. Protesting outside their little office in my brain letting them know this is not going to happen.

So I'm taking a step back and being active in some skills and resources I have been given and provided with to do so. Which is why I am revisiting Chapter 3: Accepting Personal Responsibility. As the subtitle states, "I accept responsibility for creating my life as I want it."

The essence of personal responsibility is responding wisely to life's opportunities and challenges, rather than waiting passively for luck or other people to make the choices for us.

As long as you resist your role in creating the outcomes and experiences in your life, you will fall short of your potential.

When people keep doing what they've been doing even when it doesn't work, they are acting as Victims. When people change their beliefs and behaviors to create the best results they can, they are acting as Creators.

They key ingredient of personal responsibility is choice.

The more choices I make as a Creator, the more I improve the quality of my life.

I am responsible for creating my life as I want it.

Ultimately each of use creates the quality of our life with the wisdom or folly of our choices.

If I take full responsibility for all of my actions, I will discover more positive actions and choices.

If I take full responsibility for all of my thoughts, I will establish better ways to view life.

If I take full responsibility for all of my feelings, I will be able to control which ones overwhelm me.

If I take full responsibility for my education, I will succeed to the fullest extent.

If I take full responsibility for my career, I will promote myself before my supervisor has the time.

If I take full responsibility for my relationships, I will know which ones are more stable and better for me.

If I take full responsibility for my health, I will become the weight I should be.

If I take full responsibility for all that happens to me, I will learn more about who I am.

When I am acting fully responsible for my life, I will make better decisions.

If I were to create my very best self, I will be strong, beautiful, amazing, wonderful, successful, motivated, hard-working, and live a long full life filled with joy, laughter, and all kinds of positivity, great experiences, and the best of people. 

 The Inner Critic: This is the internal voice that judges us inadequate. 

The flip side of the Inner Critic is the Inner Defender. Instead of judging ourselves, the Inner Defender judges others.

The Inner Guide knows that judgement doesn't improve difficult situations. So instead, the Inner Guide objectively observes each situation and asks, "Am I on course or off course? If I'm off course, what can I do to get back on course?"

Creators use their words and thoughts to improve a bad situation.

My thoughts and feelings have been overwhelming me for the past few days which has put a damper on my attitude. In Journal Entry 5, it gives you a list of statements written in Victim language and then tells you to translate them into Creator Language. Participating in this activity, hopefully I can recharge my Creator Language cell and turn my frown upside down.

If I would stop helping other people with their problems and focus on myself, I'd actually lose the weight I would like to.

To lose the weight I would like to, I am going to focus on myself and in the process, if others around me need help I will be there to support them.

If my mom would stop ordering out, I could eat healthier.

Every time my mom eats out, I am going to make a salad and with every bite remind myself of my goal.

If I would get over the fear of my heart pounding out of my chest, I would go for my two mile run through my extended neighborhood.

I am going to start my running up and down my road 8 times which make a mile. Once I get to 16, I will throw my fear out the window and enjoy my two mile run through my extended neighborhood.

If people would stop criticizing and making fun of me, maybe I would excel at the skills I am trying to learn/relearn.

Everyone is trying to help me excel at the skills I am trying to learn/relearn. They aren't being mean. They are trying to give constructive criticism or give me a challenge to meet.

I need moral support from others in order to do good and if I don't get it, I'll never get healthier.

I will support myself in my mission of living a healthier lifestyle. I am strong and wise and know what decisions I should and shouldn't make involving my diet and exercise routine.

My friend got me so angry that I couldn't even finish and enjoy the rest of my workout.

I took what my friend said personally when I really did it to myself. I feel as if she is making fun of me when really she is laying a challenge out for me to meet or beat. I will finish, enjoy, and workout my aggression within the rest of my workout.

I'll try to do my best this workout.

I will do my best this workout.

I work early mornings and I'm always tired when I get home which makes it hard to exercise.

I work early mornings so when I get home, I'm already warmed up for my workout. I will just change into something breezy and cool and go for a run/go to the gym when I get home.

Life is a journey with many opportunities and obstacles, and every one requires a choice.

Our choices reveal what we truly believe and value, as opposed to what we say we believe and value.

I believe it is a wise choice to use the Wise Choice Process to Assess my situation, Diagnose my problem, Plan a route, Implement my plan, and Evaluate my results. So Let's get to it.

What's my present situation?

My present situation is I am 30 pounds heavier than what I wish to be and 30 pounds heavier than the healthy weight I should be. 

How would I like my situation to be?

I would like my situation to be healthy. I would like to weigh no more than 160 pounds and I would like to have a healthy eating habit the majority of the time.

What are my possible choices?

Work out everyday.

Run at least 4 times a week.

Eat a salad once a day.

Choose carrots and celery or an apple as a snack.

Eat smaller portions.

Stop eating out.

Stop all consumption of fast food period.

Pretend all the junk food my parents buy doesn't exist.

Tell myself I can and will every day.

Believe I can and will overcome my lack of will power.

Overcome my lack of will power.

Build will power towards saying no to myself.

Say no to my urges for junk food.

What's the likely outcome of each possible choice?

Work out everyday: tone up.

Run at least 4 times a week: lose weight.

Eat a salad once a day: proper nutrition

Choose carrots and celery or an apple as a snack: proper nutrition

Eat smaller portions: proper nutrition

Stop eating out: reduce amount of fats and fillers I consume

Stop all consumption of fast food period: reduce amount of fats and fried unhealthy food

Pretend all the junk food my parents buy doesn't exist: start creating better eating habits.

Tell myself I can and will everyday: build confidence

Believe I can and will overcome my lack of will power: build confidence

Overcome my lack of will power: create self-belief

Build will power towards saying no to myself: build strength

Say no to my urges to junk food: control over my emotions and build strength within myself to remember that my long-term goals are more important than my immediate pleasure!

Which choices will I commit to doing?

Why not all of them? I will work out everyday. Run at least 4 times a week. Eat a salad once a day. Choose carrots and celery or an apple as a snack. Eat smaller portions. Stop eating out. Stop all consumption of fast food period. Pretend all the junk food my parents buy doesn't exist. Tell myself I can and will everyday. Believe I can and will overcome my lack of will power. Better yet, Overcome my lack of will power. Build enough will power towards saying no to myself. Say not to my urges to junk food. 

It isn't too much to strive for. Because in all reality, all you have to tell yourself is "I can and I will." And I most definitely can and I most definitely will.

When and how will I evaluate my plan?

In about a month, I should see at least some results if not dramatic results. If the dedication is there, this plan is fool proof. If I missed something, in a month I will come back and revise. But I'm not giving up. I did it once. I can do it again. And I will!

A few days ago, I went to a Weight loss meeting held here in town. My girl friend who I have been helping out for a few weeks now has her first weigh in and she has lost 6.5 pounds in one week! Phenomenal! I was soooo proud of her. But my Inner Critic started talking to me after I have learned this amazing fact for the day! Before we had left her house, I had gotten on her scale and it read 190... 2 pounds heavier than what I was a week ago. Learning this, I couldn't stop the conversation in my head. 

"Just accept the fact that you are fat"

"You failed once again... go figure! Ha!"

"You'll never lose weight like you did for the military."

Where were you Inner Guide?! I had lost you while I was in this situation and boy oh boy was it hard! Now that you are here, help me tell myself what I should have been telling myself.

"I am heavy but it isn't something I can't work towards losing. I can do it!"

"Yes, I didn't lose any weight this week but remember, there is always next week and I will try harder!"

"I'll dedicate myself the way I did for the military and I will lose this weight again! If not faster than before!"

BECAUSE I CAN AND I WILL!