moving it to make words and sounds, it's a challenge to just keep it shut. This is personal testimony. Shutting my mouth and keeping my opinions to myself would be one of the best things I could do; it's also one of the hardest for me to do.
It's not like everyone around me actually wants to know what I think, or how I feel about something; it's just that I'm pretty sure they should know. So I speak. So many times I should not speak. I'm fond of the adage, "It's better to let people think you're an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." God, how I understand that statement.
Along these same lines, I find that I speak quickly and generously or explosively when I have a notion (understand these are not fully formed ideas yet) of something I should do or want to do. I open my mouth and there it is, spoken into a form that sounds like a promise or, at least, a statement guaranteeing sincere effort. Then, of course, should come the act, or at least an effort, to do what I just said.
And the real problem? I seldom follow through; after all, talk is cheap, especially if your mouth is well exercised and your arms and legs languor in inertia and you never take a single step. So here I am, having announced that I want to travel overseas, to places not seen or heard. My mouth (or perhaps fingers as agents for the lips) moving rapidly and my head not yet completing the thought and certainly not formulating congruent actions.
SO much needs to occur before I take one step off these shores. Some of that activity is obvious and can be clearly outlined; more of it will be revealed as action begins. But what do I know of such large commitments and bold steps? Not much.
For starters, I need to whip myself (methaphorically speaking, since I'm not into physical self-flagellation) into shape. Just how far will I go, and how could I really enjoy the journey, if I can't walk down the street with any comfort or confidence. Obviously, not far and not much.
And this is stuff that's not hard to measure. You can keep up a brisk walk without collapsing; you can breath while you exert yourself. Your heartbeat increases, but is restored to a lower level when you stop your activity. Your weight decreases. Your hip breadth decreases. Your pants and dress size decreases. Your energy level increases. You sleep better. Your stamina increases.
That's all good stuff. So why is it so DAMN hard to do! Habits die hard; habits don't like to be forgotten. The flesh is weak. Seems the more of it there is, the weaker it is.
OK, I'm blathering about stuff. Here's the bottom line. I want to lose weight. I want to improve my physical condition. I want to improve my health. I went back to water aerobics class Monday evening and it felt wonderful. That was the easiest and probably the best thing I could do.
Tonight I'm going back to water class. AND, it follows that I should support the right activity with another one. I am taking sugar out of my diet. There it is; the big mouth has spoken again. And now that it's out there for the entire world to see I must follow through. No more candy. No more sugar-sweetened creamer in my coffee. No more ice cream. No more cheese cake. No more pie. If I live through this transition, I might actually reach a goal. That's a hope, not a promise.
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