Feeding My Mind Changed My Body

I have one body and it is mine to care for.  My parents were responsible for my first years, but it was their role to teach me how to care for my body myself.  When I entered my teen years, my parents began to fully release their control over my body and I was able to begin calling all the shots.  I chose everything about my body.  Fashion successes or missteps were mine alone to make and any piercings, tattoos, nail polish, or other forms of self expression were up to me.  I certainly had my fair share of bold hair and wardrobe statements.

I also get to choose what I put into my body.  My food choices are a large part of feeding my body.  If I want my body to work to the best of its ability I need to put quality fuel in it.  I drive a car that requires premium-grade gasoline and because I want it to run great for a long time I fill up accordingly.  I could fill my gas tank with regular-grade fuel but I could not ask my car to run as well for as long if I did.  My body, like my car, requires premium-grade fuel.  

My mind also requires premium-grade fuel.  It is as important for my mind to be fed well as my body.  The television I watch, the things I read, and the people I surround myself with are all important parts of my mental nutrition.  I also need to make sure that I am telling myself nutritious things.  

I feel very lucky to have spent several years as a Mary Kay consultant.  During my time in the company I was surrounded by positive messages.  Mary Kay Ash, the company founder, was a beautiful speaker and wrapped big ideas in inspirational little packages, like this one, Those who are blessed with the most talent don't necessarily outperform everyone else. It's the people with follow-through who excel. Surrounding myself with this constant stream of positive messages and women cheering each other on were vitamins for my soul.  The other side of the Mary Kay coin is a strong work ethic.  There is no beating around the bush that people who are successful put in the hours.  Hard work will be rewarded but you have to do it. I do not think it is a coincidence that I joined Weight Watchers two years after becoming a Mary Kay consultant. 

In July of 2008 I was able to visit the Mary Kay Corporate Headquarters in Dallas, TX and attend the annual Seminar.  Many people told me the experience would be life changing and it was, just not the way I expected.

Posing outside of Mary Kay Ash's personal office.
We joined Weight Watchers less than a month after this photo was taken.

For a long time, I made excuses about why I didn't need to treat my body with the respect it deserves.  Being uncomfortable and tired makes it seem easier to remain stagnent than to make any changes.  Without realizing what was happening, I changed my mental diet long before changing my physical diet.  I found role models that inspired me to want more.  I was able to hear how they pick themselves up when they failed and keep looking forward to the bigger prizes to keep motivated.


Click Here to see more motivational Mary Kay Ash quotes.  What are some of your favorite quotes to lift your spirit and feed your mind?

Coming Soon!

During the month of January I am going to launch a series of posts I am calling "Nuts and Bolts."  These posts will center around the tools and tricks I learned in my early days of losing weight.  I promise to share both what worked and what didn't so you can learn from (and laugh at) my experiences.  I hope to show how my journey has been about adopting small changes one at a time.  I also hope to help provide a little bit of a road map to turn those earnest New Years resolutions everyone is about to make, into sustainable actions.