Motivation ~ Inspiration for us ALL ~

[Bluebutterflier]

Just been reading a few Post op and Pre op diaries...and I can tell people are a bit down, losing hope or feeling just Blah...

So I thought I'd start a thread where everyone can put little inspirational quotes, sayings, stories....something motivational....

something that will make us all feel like we are doing the right thing...

 

[Bluebutterflier]

So I looked on a website and found this:

50 Ways to Stay Motivated to Lose Weight
(from website: 50 Ways to Stay Motivated for Weight Loss)

1) Think wellness not weight loss. Do you only make good food choices when you are trying to lose weight? This could lead to rebound weight gain if you go back to your old habits once you’ve reached your goal. “You have to eat every day, so why not eat better every day?” advises Rania Batayneh, MPH.

2) Set reasonable goals. Ask yourself if what you are trying to accomplish is reasonable. “Trying to achieve too much in too little time can actually set you back” warns Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of Integrative Health and Healing at Miraval Resort & Spa. Losing 50 pounds in 2 months is unreasonable, but losing 10 pounds in 2 months is.

3) LIMIT but do not ELIMINATE. “Eliminating your favorite foods will just make you want/crave them more,” says Rania Batayneh, MPH. Instead, Batayneh suggests allowing yourself those less healthy choices, but finding a way to limit your intake (in portion or frequency) to avoid feelings of deprivation.

4) Pace yourself. Taking on too much at once is a recipe for disaster. Instead of taking on a bunch of new tasks you aren’t exactly looking forward to (a new exercise plan, new strict eating regime), why not take bite-sized action steps? “Work on a task you've been postponing for ten minutes and then decide whether or not to continue. If you discontinue the task, schedule another time to get it done” suggests Dr. Andrew Weil, Director of Integrative Health and Healing at Miraval Resort.

5) Try tipping your scales with blue. Did you know that the color blue is a known appetite suppressant? Why not use a little color to help you stay on track? “Eat your dinner on a blue plate and you'll discover that you need less to feel full,” advises color intuitive expert Elizabeth Harper.

6) Take stock of any and all of the positive changes new eating habits have brought you. Instead of focusing only on the changes you aren’t seeing yet (i.e. a drop in your scale weight), focus on the benefits you are noticing, like saving money by not wasting it on junk food, or your increased energy level from exercising, advises Valerie Berkowitz, author of The Stubborn Fat Fix.

7) Celebrate the small victories! “Remember that fitness is more like a marathon than a sprint,” advises certified trainer Stacy Berman. “By setting small weekly or monthly goals you will be able to track your progress which will keep you motivated to continue as you reach them and step by step” says Berman. And once you’ve achieved a goal, no matter how small, celebrate it! You don’t always want to feel like you are far away from the finish line – celebrate each milestone as you achieve it along the way.

8) Wear red to get going! “If your energy is low and you feel lackluster about a project or event (or working out?) then wear red,” suggests color intuitive expert Elizabeth Harper. According to Harper, red energizes your system, boosts your confidence and empowers you to action.

9) Trick out your tracksuit! “Buy yourself some stylish workout gear that makes you look good”, suggests Kate Brown, Community Director for Daily Burn. “When you look good, you'll feel good,” says Brown. Plus, you’ll be much more likely to put on your new gym outfit on those rough days (when its cold out/you are tired/its that time of the month, etc).

10) Drop the "perfect" mentality. Did you slip up? Have a moment of weakness? That’s OK, says Valerie Berkowitz, Director of Nutrition for The Center for Balanced Health. “Use any splurge as motivation to get yourself back on track,” recommends Berkowitz. Rather than using it as an excuse to have a donut for breakfast, as in I cheated last night, I might as well keep cheating, simply tell yourself that you will recommit, and make up for it.

11) Be kind to yourself. Give yourself a hug once in awhile! Train hard, eat right, sleep well, but once a week, allow yourself an indulgence, says personal trainer Stephen Cooper. Enjoy your favorite dessert, get a massage, or simply take some time for yourself to relax.

12) Nix the “all or nothing” approach. It’s critical that the changes you are making aren’t "all or nothing", says Beth Campbell Duke of Duke Personal Branding. Use a calendar and gold stars to reward the efforts you are making. It may seem goofy, but it gives you a great snapshot of your efforts, so that next time you miss the gym or start to go back to old eating habits, you are less likely to feel like you failed at everything and give up.

13) Have an accountability partner. Find a friend, trainer, or group (10 Pounds DOWN anyone?) that will keep you on track when you miss a workout, or feel like quitting suggests Stephen Cooper, certified personal trainer.

14) Each day write down how your weight loss is making you feel healthier. Focus on the feelings of better health, and not on thinness, suggests exercise physiologist Dr. Michele Olson. You may find yourself more motivated to continue working towards your goal, especially on days when the scale isn’t budging.

15) When you fall down, get right back up and try again. You can’t control everything, so why beat yourself up about a missed workout or diet slip up? It's even OK to miss a workout once in a while says fitness expert Tony Horton. “It doesn't erase all of the hard work you've accomplished up until now, or mean that you have to start over,” says Horton, “just pick up where you left off when you were able to”.

16) Focus on what is going right. “Too often we become discouraged because we've missed a workout or two,” says Sport Psychology Professor Dr. Rob Bell. Instead of beating yourself up over the things you haven’t done (like eat perfectly or workout every single day), take a moment to acknowledge the actions you are taking towards your goals (such as cooking a healthy dinner, walking during your lunch break, etc) - while you are doing them.

17) Stop focusing only on physical changes. Switch from vanity-based fitness or weight loss goals to those that are activity, time or frequency-based, recommends fitness instructor Kelly Gray. For instance, instead of vowing to have a 6-pack in 6 weeks (which can be quite a feat to accomplish) aim to be able to run for 45 min 2-3 times a week. You won’t see results instantly from working out, but you can FEEL them instantly.

18) Use your social network! Post it, tweet it, blog about it, whatever you like, but put it out there! “If you tell others that you are striving for a major goal, you will find support that keeps you accountable and makes your steps to success less overwhelming” says Shelagh Braley of My Life List. By sharing your goals online, you may find someone else who shares your goals and can add to your support system (just like we do here at 10 Pounds DOWN!).

19) Schedule all your workouts at least a month ahead of time. Creating workout “dates” on your calendar really gives your plan priority and structure says fitness expert Tony Horton, author of Bring It: The Revolutionary Fitness Plan for All Levels That Burns Fat, Builds Muscle, and Shreds Inches. Plug it into your iphone, Blackberry, or Outlook calendar or write them down on an old-fashioned wall calendar.

20) Choose one or two new, healthy habits to take on – not 10 or 20. Small, simple changes can help you reap large results says aging and longevity specialist Sukie Baxter. Decide to do one or two small things each day, such as drinking a smoothie first thing in the morning or carrying a water bottle during the day to stay hydrated. A few small daily steps can help you stick with new changes, avoid overwhelm.

21) Take a cue from your local coffee house and set the mood for your mind. Many of us visit these high end coffee chains daily and happily plunk down $4 for a cup of coffee (which if you think about it, is insane); but their job is to make you feel good in the store, so you don’t mind spending it. And that’s the key to making good nutrition and exercise a permanent part of your life says Kate Galliett, Personal Trainer for Barone Spinal Care. Get yourself pumped up for your new workout plan in as many ways as you can – just like the photos of the delicious drinks, upbeat music and tantalizing aromas that surround you in the coffee shop – so you don’t mind ‘spending’ the time and effort on it.

22) Change the scenery around you. “Behavior is often shaped by our environment rather than pure willpower, says Catherine Kruppa, MS, RD of The Houstonian Club in Houston. For example, deciding to eat your favorite frozen yogurt only while you are at the yogurt shop, rather than taking it home and eat it out of the carton while watching TV. You’ll still enjoy your favorite treat, but will likely end up eating much less of it.

23) Sleep on it. According to Feng Shui, everything has energy. “Write down your goal and sleep with it under your pillow” recommends Feng Shui expert Donna Stellhorn . Literally ‘sleeping on it’ (your goals) will help incorporate that energy into you, and may help you manifest them sooner.

24) Turn off the negative self-talk. Choose to avoid negative thoughts. And when you do start to think negatively, have an "out" that will quickly take you away from the negative thoughts suggests personal trainer Kate Galliet, “I ask myself, "What's the payoff?" If the pay-off of the brownie that I want to eat is not something that makes me leaner, fitter, happier in the long-run - I reconsider my decision.”

25) Have a Plan B ready. Setbacks will happen, but its how you deal with them that matters most, says Catherine Kruppa, MS, RD. “Successful goal getters use setbacks as motivation to re-commit,” says Kruppa, “identify what caused your slip up and use it as a learning opportunity”. Have a few different options ready if your plan doesn’t work, and use obstacles as learning tools to try new things.

26) Be Your Own Cheerleader. Place post-it notes all around your house with motivational reminders such as, "I feel great!” or "food is fuel, I eat when needed," suggests certified personal trainer and chef Ursula Rafer.

27) Keep your motivation (and goals) evolving. “I find my motivation around me - whether it is staying healthy to be around for my daughter, strong enough to carry her or fit enough to keep up with her,” says health and fitness blogger Maria Garofalo Mccauley. “When my motivation wanes after reaching a specific goal, it’s time to set a new one! Goals are evolving and dynamic I love always having something new to shoot for”.

28) Cross train your habits. Mixing things up isn’t just good for your fitness plan, but it also works with your daily choices as well says personal trainer PJ Stahl. For example, instead of eating out on Friday night, and potentially consuming back all the calories you worked off all week in one sitting, why not have host a healthy potluck dinner for you and your friends? Trading one old not so healthy habit for another healthy habit that you’ll look forward to just as much can help you make lasting changes.

29) 3-Step your goal. Having a large goal (such as losing 50 pounds) can be pretty overwhelming and easy to lose motivation with since it takes some time to achieve. Break down your goal into three, smaller, mini goals or steps suggests fitness expert PJ Stahl
. Creating a 3-step goal process can also help you gradually build healthy choices into your life, rather than trying to overhaul everything all at once.

30) Evaluate your goal. How much do you really want to achieve it? If your goal isn’t valuable or important enough to you, you’ll lose interest fast says life coach Ronald Kaufman. Take a moment to re-evaluate what you are working towards – if its not something that is very important to you right now, this may not be the time to try to achieve it, or you may need to create a revised goal, one that does excite you and motivate you.

31) List the painful consequences of not achieving your goal. Sure, it’s nice to think about all the great things you’ll have/feel once you’ve achieved your goal, but it can also be motivating to list all the possible negatives that may come about if you DON’T achieve it. “Write out all the negative consequences of not exercising (poor health, pain, limited abilities, medical costs, lack of socializing, low self-esteem)” recommends Ronald Kaufman, author of Anatomy of Success. And with each negative consequence, asks yourself: “What’s the consequence of? and “What’s the consequence of …?” – writing down all of your answers until you’ve finished your full list, and then refer back to it anytime you need a dose of motivation.

32) Use You Tube for Inspiration. Some of the best motivational speakers are all available right at your fingertips! Why not download a few of your favorite video clips from You Tube suggests
 Danielle Miller of One Smart Cookie LLC. Get started with Miller’s picks: Will Smith on Success and Richard St. John’s TED talk.

33) Stay away from bad influences. Are there certain stores, foods or even friends that lead you to make unhealthy choices? Try to stay away from triggers that may tempt you back into the unhealthy habits you are trying to break suggests personal trainer Nicole Palacios. Instead, find people, places and things that will have a more positive influence on your lifestyle, and will help facilitate your goals.

34) Keep a success journal. Documenting your successes in a journal can help build your confidence in your abilities to accomplish your goal suggests body image and success coach Stephanie Mansour. Keep a success journal next to your bed and write down each day’s successes (which can be as seemingly insignificant as - fought through a sluggish day and still went to the gym).

35) Name one reason why losing weight is bad for you. List as many reasons as you can about why losing weight is bad for you. Can you think of any? Now, write down all the reasons you can think about why losing weight is good for you, and make a nice long, positive list for reinforcement recommends Dr. Michele Olson, Exercise Physiologist at Auburn University Montgomery.

36) Do some constructive venting. Research shows that "venting" actually helps us transition from "stuck mode" to "solution mode". But instead of just complaining about why you can’t have what you want, list the three main things that are draining your energy from achieving your goal. “Take one of them and write down what you feel about that ‘drainer’ - what expectations aren't being met? What are you tolerating as a result of the drainer? What values are being compromised? Are you beating yourself up with ‘shoulds’ or other guilt? Once you've finished unpacking your energy drained, ask yourself what you really want,” suggests Julie Lynch Principal of Uncommon Consulting.

37) Take it one ½ day at a time. Sometimes you just have to focus on one half day at a time, says life coach Diana Fletcher. Instead of focusing on the miles and miles ahead of you on your journey, simply focus on what is immediately in front of you, such as the first half of your day. You can do anything for a 1/2 day! Once you make it past the first half, focus on the next to stay motivated rather than overwhelmed.

38) Share your weight loss goals with friends and loved ones. Create a support team – that will cheer you on and help keep you accountable along your weight loss journey, recommends Dr. Michele Olson.

39) Get a taste of what you want. Sometimes losing just that first pound can be the biggest motivator, says fitness expert Cari Shoemate. If you haven’t lost anything yet, think back to a time when you have lost those first few pounds – and let that feeling carry you through that tough workout that you are struggling with.

40) Recognize how far you’ve come. “I keep myself motivated by setting new goals when I’ve reached one,” says weight loss success story blogger Lindsey Warren Gambles, “I figure I can always add on a few more minutes of exercise, push myself just a little harder, do a few more crunches, pick up heavier dumbbells, eat a little healthier.” Gambles also likes to take a look at past achievements and acknowledge just how far she’s come – a strategy that has been proven successful for long term weight loss.

41) Pick up on visual cues. We are visual creatures, so use that to your advantage! Flip through a new fitness magazine or scroll through a website, or watch some fitness shows on TV to get inspired. “Use the cute workout clothes you see, great bodies and also workouts all as new motivational tools” recommends Exercise TV trainer Cari Shoemate.

42) Take note of your options and actions. Research shows that making specific movements forward, no matter how small, gives us more motivation to keep going. “Take 5 minutes to brainstorm all the options you have for breaking through what's holding you back and for making progress toward your goal (write down every option you can think of - including things like changing or tossing out the goal)” recommends Julie Lynch Principal. Review the list and pick out one option and then turn it into an action: decide what will you do, with whom, and by when.

43) Know Yourself. Understanding who you are as an individual, and why you make the choices you make, is so important. Don’t work against your natural tendencies- work with them! If you are a walker, don’t try to force yourself into becoming a marathon runner. If you are a social butterfly, take a new fitness class with a friend, or if you prefer solo exercise, try out a new Pilates DVD at home.

44) Reward your Righteousness. When you know you have been good to your body, treat yourself! Find a reward that inspires you- a new pair of sneakers or workout outfit, a new music CD for your walk or pamper your feet with a pedicure for all of your efforts. You might be surprised – that gold-star, pat-on-the-back goes a long way towards helping you stay motivated.

45) Bliss Out. We all need a boost now and then, and sometimes the best way to get it is by doing LESS, not MORE. Resist the urge to push yourself to your limits, and try going the other way. Try out a yoga class, treat yourself to a massage or simply sit still and just focus on your breath for 10 minutes today.

46) Create a vision. If your goal is to lose weight, create a mental picture of yourself having already achieved it. What will you look like, feel like, and move like when you have accomplished that goal? Living as if you are already there makes realizing your vision something you focus on daily.

47) Stay simple. Avoid the lure of quick fixes like cleanses, sweat suits or extreme diets. Instead of overhauling everything, keep it simple. Substitute half of your usual morning OJ with sparkling water or try your usual sandwich with one less slice of bread and more lettuce instead today. Swap out your favorite TV show for a half hour with a book that you have been waiting to read. Offer to take your friend’s kids for the afternoon so that she has a few hours of “me” time, and then she can return the favor. Over time, these tiny steps can produce major, lasting, easier to maintain, results.

48) Get a theme song. Rocky had a theme song, so why shouldn’t you? It sounds corny, but playing it (even singing and dancing along to it) can really boost your spirits when you are feeling uninspired and help you check back in with your motivation. (One of our favs? Spaceman by The Killers – we love the line “It’s All in Your Mind”).

49) Stay sane by cheating - once in awhile. “Planning a cheat, whether it's a snack, a meal, a weekend or a week vacation, can make all the difference in the world, says Valerie Berkowitz, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. By allowing yourself a little “controlled” wiggle room, you can avoid falling off the wagon big time. And once your “cheat” is done, go right back to your plan.

50) Donate your "fat" clothes. Instead of holding onto your ‘heavy’ clothes –visualize yourself in your new wardrobe, recommends fat loss boot camp Stephen Cooper. Better yet, picture how great you’ll feel in your new body and clothes and get rid of the possibility of going back to your unhealthy habits.

 

[Bluebutterflier]

The more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.
Horace Bushnell

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

[Tonibones10]

This thread is great XxXx

 

[MissyMustDoIt]

this inspires me....not sure if its too sarcastic for anyone else....

'little pickers wear bigger knickers'

lol

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Attitude/Perspective

“Attitude: It is our best friend or our worst enemy.” ~John C. Maxwell
“Your attitude determines your altitude!” ~Denis Waitley
“A strong positive attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug.” ~Patricia Neal
“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.” ~William James
“The world of achievement has always belonged to the optimist.” ~J. Harold Wilkins
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Wayne Dyer
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“You can complain that roses have thorns, or rejoice that thorns have roses.” ~Ziggy
“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” ~William James
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” ~Dennis P. Kimbro
“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” ~Victor E. Frankl
“Everyone faces defeat. It may be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block, depending on the mental attitude with which it is faced.” ~Napoleon Hill
“Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.” ~Thomas L. Holdcroft
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” ~Maya Angelou
“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ~George Bernard Shaw
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Wayne Dyer
“The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.” ~Al Neuharth

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Baby Steps

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Old Chinese Proverb
“Every choice you make has an end result.” ~Zig Ziglar
“Little by little does the trick.” ~Aesop
“One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time.” ~John Wanamaker
“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” ~William Faulkner
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” ~Unknown
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” ~Robert Louis Stevenson
“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” ~Doug Firebaugh
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” ~Emilie Coue
“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.” ~Abraham Lincoln
“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…one step at a time.” ~Joe Girard
“To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first.” ~William Shakespeare
“Success is a staircase, not a doorway.” ~Dottie Walters
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~Robert J Collier
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~Mike Murdock
“Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” ~Mark Twain
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” ~Chinese Proverb
“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” ~John Wooden

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Belief

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.” ~Henry Ford
“First thing every morning before you arise, say out loud, ‘I believe’, three times.” ~Norman Vincent Peale
“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” ~Charles F. Kettering
“I’ve come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” ~Anthony Robbins
“Believe while others are doubting.” ~William Arthur Ward
“It’s not who you think you are that holds you back; it’s who you think you’re not.” ~Unknown
“I would rather have a mind opened by wonder than closed by belief.” ~Gerry Spence
“Stumbling is not falling.” ~Portuguese Proverb
“As long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” ~Unknown
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” ~Michael Jordan
“A stumble may prevent a fall.” ~English Proverb
“It’s not the mistakes in life that are important; it’s what we learn from them.” ~Donna Guthrie
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” ~Albert Einstein
“If doubt is challenging you and you do not act, doubts will grow. Challenge the doubts with action and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible.” ~John Kanary
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.” ~Robert Frost
“Failure is not fatal. Only failure to get back up is.” ~John C. Maxwell
“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.” ~Denis Waitley
“You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.” ~Unknown
“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” ~African Proverb
“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have.” ~Norman Vincent Peale

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Change

“We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” ~Les Brown
“The key to change… is to let go of fear.” ~Rosanne Cash
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” ~Dr. Robert Anthony
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” ~Maya Angelou
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” ~modified Serenity prayer
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” ~John Wooden
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~Mike Murdock
“Quite often we change our jobs, friends and spouses instead of changing ourselves.” ~Akbarali H. Jetha
“People only see what they are prepared to see.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results.” ~Jack Dixon
“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” ~George Bernard Shaw
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” ~Albert Einstein
“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” ~John Maxwell
“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” ~Jim Rohn
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ~Leo Tolstoy
“Be bold. Be confident. Be alive. A gallery of possibilities awaits you when you make change your friend.” ~Bob Bone
“Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic.” ~Anonymous
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Wayne Dyer
“The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.” ~Eng’s Principle
“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you.” ~Wayne Dyer Quotes
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” ~Dr. Denis Waitley
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” ~Robert Frost
“Choice, not chance, determines destiny.” ~E.C. McKenzie
“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.” ~H. L. Hunt
“It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” ~Anthony Robbins
“You will never leave where you are, until you decide where you’d rather be.” ~Dexter Yager
“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” ~Roy Disney
“Decide upon your major definite purpose in life and then organize all your activities around it.” ~Brian Tracy
“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in.” ~Napolean Bonaparte

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Commitment

“Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but, because of lack of commitment.” ~Vince Lombardi
“There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.” ~Pat Riley
“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” ~Unknown
“Stay committed to your decisions; but stay flexible in your approach.” ~Tony Robbins
“Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.” ~Stan Smith
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” ~Dorothy Bernard
“Courage is a resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” ~Mark Twain
“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow’.” ~Mary Anne Radmacher
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~Christopher Robin
“No amount of security is worth the suffering of a life chained to a routine that has killed your dreams.” ~Unknown
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” ~Ambrose Redmoon
“Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.” ~Dr. Robert Anthony
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~Nelson Mandela
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” ~Raymond Lindquist
“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” ~Rosalynn Carter
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.” ~William Jennings Bryan
“Confidence, like art, never comes from having all the answers; it comes from being open to all the questions.” ~Earl Gray Stevens
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen
“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
“No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.” ~Bill Phillips
“Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable.” ~Zig Ziglar
“We can do anything we want as long as we stick to it long enough.” ~Helen Keller
“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell.” ~Unknown
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” ~Unknown
“We are torn between a craving to know and the despair of having known.” ~Unknown
“Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.” ~Robert Orben

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Diets

“I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is fourteen days.” ~Totie Fields
“The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it.” ~Jackie Gleason
“At the end of every diet, the path curves back to the trough.” ~Mason Cooley
“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.” ~Dolly Parton
“Probably nothing in the world arouses more false hopes than the first four hours of a diet.” ~Dan Bennett
“A diet is the penalty we pay for exceeding the feed limit.” ~Unknown
“The cardiologist’s diet: If it tastes good, spit it out.” ~Unknown
“The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books – how not to eat what you’ve just learned how to cook.” ~Andy Rooney
“The first thing you lose on a diet is your sense of humor.” ~Unknown
“I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.” ~Mae West
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.” ~Erma Bombeck
“If you have formed the habit of checking on every new diet that comes along, you will find that, mercifully, they all blur together, leaving you with only one definite piece of information: french-fried potatoes are out.” ~Jean Kerr
“I’m on a 90-day wonder diet. Thus far, I’ve lost 45 days.” ~Author Unknown
“My advice if you insist on slimming: Eat as much as you like – just don’t swallow it.” ~Harry Secombe
“I have a great diet. You’re allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people.” ~Ed Bluestone
“A diet is a plan, generally hopeless, for reducing your weight, which tests your will power but does little for your waistline.” ~Herbert B. Prochnow
“We’re the country that has more food to eat than any other country in the world, and with more diets to keep us from eating it.” ~Unknown

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Doubt/Fear

“If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
“People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.” ~Lewis Cass
“Believe while others are doubting.” ~William Arthur Ward
“If doubt is challenging you and you do not act, doubts will grow. Challenge the doubts with action and you will grow. Doubt and action are incompatible.” ~John Kanary
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” ~George Herman “Babe” Ruth
“It’s not who you think you are that holds you back; it’s who you think you’re not.” ~Unknown
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” ~Dr. Robert Schuller
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” ~Sven Goran Eriksson
“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” ~Earl Nightingale
“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.” ~Ralph Marston
“Never be afraid to do something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the titanic.” ~Anonymous
“The key to change… is to let go of fear.” ~Rosanne Cash
“Act as if it were impossible to fail.” ~Dorothea Brande
“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” ~Dorothy Bernard
“Courage is a resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” ~Mark Twain
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” ~Ambrose Redmoon
“Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.” ~Dr. Robert Anthony
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~Nelson Mandela
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.” ~William Jennings Bryan
“Fears over tomorrow and regrets over yesterday are twin thieves that rob us of the moment.” ~Anonymous
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” ~James Thurber
“The key to change… is to let go of fear.” ~Rosanne Cash
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” ~Chinese Proverb
“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once to get over the fear of doing it. Twice to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.” ~Joyce Meyer

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Exercise/Activity

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~Edward Stanley
“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.” ~Carol Welch
“If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.” ~Joey Adams
“Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, running up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backwards, lying down on the job, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.” ~Anonymous
“Fitness – If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.” ~Cher
“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise.” ~Carrie Latet

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Failure

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~Thomas Edison
“To succeed you must first improve, to improve you must first practice, to practice you must first learn, to learn you must first fail.” ~Wesley Woo
“The next best thing to winning is losing! At least you’ve been in the race.” ~Nellie Hershey Tullis
“Negative results are just what I want. They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.” ~Thomas Edison
“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” ~Oliver Goldsmith
“I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” ~Bill Cosby
“Everyone faces defeat. It may be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block, depending on the mental attitude with which it is faced.” ~Napoleon Hill
“Success is never certain. Failure is never final.” ~Robert Schuller
“Act as if it were impossible to fail.” ~Dorothea Brande
“If at first you don’t succeed, you are running about average.” ~M.H. Alderson
“Fall seven times, stand up eight.” ~Japanese Proverb
“There is no failure. Only feedback.” ~Unknown
“Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” ~George Washington
“The harder you fall, the higher you bounce.” ~Anonymous
“The only real failure in life is one not learned from.” ~Anthony J. D’Angelo
“Stumbling is not falling.” ~Portuguese Proverb
“I would rather attempt something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.” ~Robert Schuller
“Failure is not fatal. Only failure to get back up is.” ~John C. Maxwell
“Failures are like skinned knees, painful but superficial.” ~H. Ross Perot
“When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound, rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal.” ~Napoleon Hill
“In order to succeed, you must first be willing to fail.” ~Anonymous
“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” ~Robert C. Gallagher
“Failure is an event, never a person; an attitude, not an outcome.” ~Zig Ziglar
“In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time.” ~Anthony D’Angelo
“You don’t drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.” ~Unknown
“What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?” ~Dr. Robert Schuller
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” ~Sven Goran Eriksson
“Most people fail, not because of lack of desire, but, because of lack of commitment.” ~Vince Lombardi
“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.” ~Charles C. Noble
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” ~Unknown
“It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” ~Lena Horne

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Goals

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ~Larry Elder
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” ~Thomas Jefferson
“If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can’t just sit back and hope it will happen. You’ve got to make it happen.” ~Chuck Norris
“You must have long-range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-range failures.” ~Charles C. Noble
“If what you are doing is not moving you towards your goals, then it’s moving you away from your goals.” ~Brian Tracy
“People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.” ~Brian Tracy
“You cannot expect to achieve new goals or move beyond your present circumstances unless you change.” ~Les Brown
“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.” ~Scott Reed
“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.” ~Ralph Marston

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Habits

“Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” ~Mark Twain
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” ~Jim Rohn
“A habit is something you can do without thinking – which is why most of us have so many of them.” ~Frank A. Clark
“The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones.” ~Somerset Maugham
“The easier it is to do, the harder it is to change.” ~Eng’s Principle
“The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” ~Samuel Johnson
“Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.” ~Unknown
“Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry.” ~Warren Buffet
“First we form habits; then they form us. Conquer your bad habits or they will conquer you.” ~Robert Gilbert
“Habit is second nature, or rather, ten times nature.” ~William James
“The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures don’t like to do. They don’t like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose.” ~E. M. Gray
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~Robert J Collier
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” ~Mike Murdock
“Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.” ~Hamilton Holt
“You can’t cross a sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” ~Rabindranath Tagore
“The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desires bring weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat.” ~Napoleon Hill
“Nothing will work unless you do.” ~Maya Angelou
“You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.” ~Brian Tracy
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” ~Vidal Sassoon
“The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen.” ~Sarah Brown
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” ~Nelson Mandela
“You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” ~Margaret Thatcher
“Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” ~Dale Carnegie
“All great achievements require time.” ~Maya Angelou
“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” ~Frank Lloyd Wright
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ~Colin Powell
“Success is dependent upon the glands – sweat glands.” ~Zig Ziglar

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Happiness

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ~Fredrick Koeing
“To be happy, drop the words ‘if only’ and substitute instead the words ‘next time’.” ~Smiley Blanton
“Searching for that big happy moment in life, how many special little moments will we let pass us by?” ~Anonymous

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Health

“Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it.” ~Unknown
“A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time – pills or stairs.” ~Joan Welsh
“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.” ~Jill Johnson
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” ~World Health Organization

 

[Bluebutterflier]

Humorous

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” ~Doug Larson
“Everyone has problems; some are just better at hiding them.” ~Unknown
“The leading cause of death among fashion models is falling through street grates.” ~Dave Barry
“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” ~Robert C. Gallagher
“Worry is as useless as a handle on a snowball.” ~Mitzi Chandler
“If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.” ~Joey Adams
“Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, running up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backwards, lying down on the job, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.” ~Anonymous
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~Zig Ziglar
“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.” ~Unknown
“Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks.” ~Unknown
“Can it be a mistake that ‘STRESSED’ is ‘DESSERTS’ spelled backwards?” ~Unknown
“A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.” ~Unknown
“What you eat in private will show up in public.” ~Unknown
“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.” ~English Proverb
“Don’t eat anything your great-great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” ~Michael Pollan
“I’ve been on a diet for two weeks and all I’ve lost is fourteen days.” ~Totie Fields
“The second day of a diet is always easier than the first. By the second day you’re off it.” ~Jackie Gleason
“At the end of every diet, the path curves back to the trough.” ~Mason Cooley
“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book. I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.” ~Dolly Parton
“Probably nothing in the world arouses more false hopes than the first four hours of a diet.” ~Dan Bennett
“The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.” ~Unknown
“We are torn between a craving to know and the despair of having known.” ~Unknown
“Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch.” ~Robert Orben
“If you believe everything you read, you better not read.” ~Unknown
“It’s rough to go through life with your contents looking as if they settled during shipping.” ~Milton Berle
“The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends.” ~Anonymous
“I am realistic – I expect miracles.” ~Wayne Dyer
“Time is a circus, always packing up and moving away.” ~Ben Hecht
“I don’t jog. If I die I want to be sick.” ~Abe Lemons
“My doctor recently told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already.” ~Milton Berle
“A pedestrian is someone who thought there were a couple of gallons left in the tank.” ~Unknown
“A dog is one of the remaining reasons why some people can be persuaded to go for a walk.” ~O.A. Battista
“The Americans never walk. In winter too cold and in summer too hot.” ~J.B. Yeats
“I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.” ~Marsha Doble
“If your dog is fat, you’re not getting enough exercise.” ~Unknown
“Another good reducing exercise consists in placing both hands against the table edge and pushing back.” ~Robert Quillen
“Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes.” ~Robert M. Hutchins
“I consider exercise vulgar. It makes people smell.” ~Alec Yuill Thornton
“I am pushing sixty. That is enough exercise for me.” ~Mark Twain
“Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.” ~Unknown
“When I buy cookies I eat just four and throw the rest away. But first I spray them with Raid so I won’t dig them out of the garbage later. Be careful, though, because that Raid really doesn’t taste that bad.” ~Janette Barber
“Aerobics: a series of strenuous exercises which help convert fats, sugars, and starches into aches, pains, and cramps.” ~Unknown
“I bought a talking refrigerator that said “Oink” every time I opened the door. It made me hungry for pork chops.” ~Marie Mott
“Obesity is really widespread.” ~Joseph O. Kern II
“If I can’t have too many truffles I’ll do without.” ~Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
“The only way to lose weight is to check it as airline baggage.” ~Peggy Ryan
“Fat is not a moral problem. It’s an oral problem.” ~Jane Thomas Noland
“A waist is a terrible thing to mind.” ~Tom Wilson
“I am not a glutton – I am an explorer of food.” ~Erma Bombeck
“Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled over how much weight you have gained. ~Unknown
“I’m in shape. Round is a shape… isn’t it?” ~Unknown
“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.” ~Unknown
“I’m not overweight. I’m just nine inches too short.” ~Shelley Winters
“Forget love… I’d rather fall in chocolate!” ~Unknown
“I’ve been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I’ve lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet.” ~Erma Bombeck
“My advice if you insist on slimming: Eat as much as you like – just don’t swallow it.” ~Harry Secombe
“I have a great diet. You’re allowed to eat anything you want, but you must eat it with naked fat people.” ~Ed Bluestone
“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.” ~Unknown
“Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks.” ~Unknown
“If food is your best friend, it’s also your worst enemy.” ~Edward “Grandpa” Jones
“Can it be a mistake that ‘STRESSED’ is ‘DESSERTS’ spelled backwards?” ~Unknown
“A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.” ~Unknown
“What you eat in private will show up in public.” ~Unknown
“Processed foods not only extend the shelf life, but they extend the waistline as well.” ~Karen Sessions
“Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin feels.” ~Unknown
“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.” ~English Proverb
“Don’t eat anything your great-great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” ~Michael Pollan
“A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.” ~Spanish Proverb
“Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food.” ~Hippocrates