My MOTIVATION to a Healthier Lifestyle

It's time for another GIVEAWAY (Click HERE to enter) and, to get one entry, people have to answer the question:

What motivates you to live a healthier lifestyle?

I thought that it was probably only fair to answer this question myself. And, since it's my blog, I get to EXPLAIN my motivation as well.

One night, I had a dream, probably brought on by my mother telling me about a similar dream that she had, where I met my Savior. He told me that he was proud of me and how I lived my life. Then, he looked into my eyes and asked:

"But Cindy, I gave you a beautiful body. What did you do with my gift? Did you treat it with respect? Did you love it?  Why did you spend most of your life either neglecting this gift physically, or neglecting it emotionally? You truly loved your neighbor... why did you not love yourself? YOU are a daughter of God. This is a great commandment that was not fulfilled."

Now, keep in mind that this was a dream and I am not claiming to know what the Savior might say in this situation. BUT, this is what he said in the dream. Either way.... it made me think. I HAVE spent a good portion of my life feeling insecure, hating my body, hating the way that I looked and felt.  I was in the downward spiral of apathy. 

FACT: I didn't take care of my body. I didn't nourish it physically OR emotionally. 

Another night, not too long ago, I had a dream that my boys were in danger. I had to climb over a wall and run a up five flights of stairs to get to them. I couldn't do it! I was not strong enough to lift my body weight, and too weak to make it up the 5 flights of stairs! I woke up in tears because I wasn't healthy enough to save them.

FACT: In real life, there is NO WAY that I would have made it over the wall OR up the stairs. 

These are EXACTLY like the stairs in my dream.
Creepy, unstable, and scary. I'm sure that there
is some psychological reason for that.

Finally, on yet ANOTHER night, 5 months ago, I started a LONG journey.  I KNEW that it would be a long journey because I had many stops to make along the way.  I had many things to learn and to accept.  I still do.  But I made the decision to REALLY change, morph, convert into a healthier person. I knew that I wasn't looking for a program, pill, shake, or any outside factor to give me answers.  The answers, and the change, had to come from within. True change is a long, slow, but lasting process. Something clicked inside and, that night, I started The Healthy Redhead.  I defined my goals, I built support, I hoped to become support for others. I started on the journey. And, I'm still here. Still working. Still on the journey, but not still the same person that started. 

FACT: My life changed.... For Good. 

I might not have reached my goal weight in the first 4 months.... I think that's good!!  That tells me that I am taking my time, carefully making decisions that affect my body and outcome. I think that if you read through the blog, you will see that my opinions have changed, my goals changed, I feel like I am on a higher level than I started, and I continue to grow! I started out with the motivation to "lose weight,"  a term that makes me shudder now. 

FACT...MAYBE OPINION: 

We would struggle to find a person in this world that isn't trying to better themselves. 

My way might not work for you, but I share it with you so that you can decide.  I share it with you because I NEED to.  I need to be accountable for my dealings with myself, and I need to make my experiences available to others on the off chance that it might help someone else. Do I think that EVERYONE needs to share their most uncomfortable thoughts, experiences and pictures all over the internet for people to see???  OF COURSE NOT!  I'm sort of wondering about my own sanity for doing that.  But, I DO think that EVERYONE needs to look at themselves in the mirror and define WHAT their MOTIVATION is!  

FACT: I live a healthy lifestyle so that I can have a healthier heart and enjoy the sunshine!

I live to enjoy my boys to the fullest extent possible; so that nothing can come between me and playing with them, or even saving their life one day ( I will conquer the stairs!) I will be strong enough to lift them, out run them (only sometimes,) play with them, and teach them. I live a healthy lifestyle so that my family knows that THEIR health is important to me. It's important to me that THEY eat healthy foods, be involved in healthy activities, and have healthy attitudes. They are my heart and my sunshine! 


       FACT: I will be able to look HIM in they eye and smile with confidence in the life I led. 

I live a healthy life so that I can look my Savior in the eye and tell him that I DID take care of this beautiful body that he gave me. I fueled it with good food, thoughts, and activities. 

Now you know WHY I ask YOU..... 

What is YOUR motivation to live a healthier lifestyle? 

Decide NOW. Make it strong. Make it lasting. Write it down so that you will NEVER forget WHY you are doing this!  WHAT makes it worth the ups, downs, tears, sweat, and struggle.