I would like to discuss the last episode of The Bachelor, the merits of a great deep-dish pizza, and the upcoming Lady Gaga concert tour. However, it is time to focus on my workout to maintain my health and fitness. I get a push in the right direction and stay on the path by reading from the list of motivational quotes that I have jotted down in a notebook. Here’s sharing some of those with you, kid!
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
William James, a pioneering psychologist and philosopher, gets credit for that quote, and you are responsible for any action that may result from it. Begin your running or walking program and see the difference it makes. Start that aerobic routine at the YMCA and see the difference it makes. Drink eight glasses of water each day and see the difference it makes.
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
Walter Elliott, a priest who wrote The Spiritual Life in 1918, gets the credit for that quote, and you are responsible for any action that may result from it. Know that each day brings a new challenge and be ready to face it. Every week is a building block to what you want to achieve. Focus on one moment at a time and make the best of that moment. It takes 26.2 short races to complete a marathon.
"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."
Mark Caine, author, gets the credit for that quote, and you are responsible for any action that may result from it. Refuse to be captive in your obese environment! Refuse to be captive in your drug and alcohol environment! Refuse to be captive in your stressful work environment! Refuse and take your first step!
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, gets the credit for that quote, and you are responsible for any action that may result from it. Keep company with those who believe in your dreams and your ability to achieve them. Keep company with those who encourage you to finish college and get your degree. Keep company with those who are excited about life and excite you about life.
"The wise person does at once what the fool does at last."
Baltasar Gracian, a Jesuit priest and writer, gets the credit for that quote and you are responsible for any action that may result from it. Quit smoking at once, and don’t wait for lung cancer first. Begin at once to shed those extra pounds, and don’t wait until you are diagnosed with diabetes. Change your way of eating at once, and don’t delay until your cholesterol level is much too high.
These are some of the great quotes that I have written down to help keep me on my path to continued health and fitness. It feels so much better discussing rose ceremonies, Chicago-style pizza, and “Poker Face” when I know I’ve completed my workout routine!
This health and fitness article is brought to you by that guy who can snap a wicked towel in the locker room. That purveyor of playful pain is Ron Blake and you can reach him at rblake5551@hotmail.com.
