In writing this post, I am making many assumptions about the thoughts and feelings of others…..
As quickly as people get inspired by their positive action, some will get discouraged and discontinue even quicker if they heed the “naysayers”. If the results are not immediate, additional discouragement may follow. Be proud of your action, and look to praise others when you see it. Think about how you have improved compared to where you started.
Yesterday, our family was coming back from the Oxford Community Easter Egg Hunt. The weather was outstanding, just a great day to be outside (sunshine, clear sky, gentle breeze)….a day that makes springtime so great. We noticed an overweight college student slowly jogging on the sidewalk (I don’t say overweight to be mean, but it was clearly an unhealthy situation). Jen said “You go girl”. I silently acknowledged her affirmation, and kept driving on. I didn’t think anymore about this…until this morning.
During my 5a dogwalk, I was listening to a podcast interviewing Larry Winget, one of my favorite authors. Two of Mr. Winget’s themes are personal responsibility and taking action. As the walk progressed, I wrapped my head around this student’s action and how inspirational I found it.
Here was an individual who: (a) recognized an area of self-improvement; (b) was taking positive action, not just talking or wishing about it. This type of action DEMANDS OUR RESPECT! Sadly, I am sure she encountered some resistance instead.
Her jog was conducted in a public, so there were probably naysayers and a-holes that passed her with comments such as: “she needs it”; “is that as fast as you can go?”; “it’s about time”; “she’ll never stick with it”.
My hope is that this young lady takes enough pride in her work to continue on her journey to improved health (if that was indeed her goal). I hope she realizes the following:
- her story of incremental improvement to reach her goal serves as inspiration for others; she stopped complaining and wishing in favor of doing something about it
- this won’t happen overnight….focus on the improvement from previous days
- realize the naysayers and smart ass comments are from people who aren’t important in her life, who don’t really want her to succeed
- improving her fitness improves her overall health and contributes to a healthier society
- she creates a legacy of action
At various times, we all get stuck with lack of motivation and taking action. Look for and use examples of action to push yourself to your goals.
Have a great Easter! I would love to hear your stories about taking action!
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Here are a couple of my most viewed posts.
–Click here for my book review of Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court by Jay Bilas
–Click here for my book review of The Power of Negative Thinking by Bob Knight
–Click here for my book review of Bo’s Lasting Lessons: The Legendary Coach Teaches the Timeless Fundamentals of Leadership
-I am the author of The Basketball Match Up Zone and Multi-Purpose Basketball Offense ebooks.
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