Is it really that hard to say "Thank you"?

Dear Old Me,

I am sure of one thing… If I continue to eat properly, work out and drink all of my water each day, stay on plan and stay positive the only outcome will be that I reach my goals. I know I am stronger every day. I recognize my progress in the little things. Last night at Zumba (which kicked some MAJOR ass, btw) I focused on watching myself in the mirror. I saw someone who could pretty much keep up with the instructor and the rest of the class and I am learning to recognize that my hard work is paying off. 

I love Kariné’s classes because I want to push myself harder so I can keep up with her. She told me today that she's stepped up the intensity level in her classes because she has so many regulars both at the Sandy class and at the U (we keep coming back because we love her!!!). She said she doesn’t want to scare the “newbies” away. I understand completely, but I say bring it!!! They will only be a “newbie” once. They will recognize how much fun Zumba is and come back. Each time we come we get that much better and there is always new stuff to challenge us. I love all my Zumba-mates in my Thursday class. Every once in a while I catch a glimpse of them and we are all working so hard. There are a lot of regulars and it is becoming like a little family. We’re all there to have fun, let loose, sweat and get healthy together. There isn’t anything better than that.

I am getting better at getting my body to move in the way that it should and I am proud of myself. Is that wrong to say? Sometimes I feel like it is, but I am getting better. I have always been so self-deprecating because I have never felt like I deserved to be proud of myself. If I ever received a compliment I would immediately say some comment to take the focus away, make fun of myself or something else like that. So many people do this too. We all just need to learn how to say thank you and then the thing we should do is turn it around and compliment your complimentor (I just made up a word, I think). It feels really good to feel good about myself but I feel even better making others feel good. I am proud of what I have accomplished. I’ve worked pretty hard for this. It’s okay to accept praise and then turn around and make the person who went out of their way to pay me a compliment feel good too. Share the love, so to speak. If I did an awesome job at work and everyone was commenting on it I wouldn’t say “Oh, whatever, I still suck at this or that or I did XYZ wrong or I sounded dumb when I said blah, blah, blah.” That would be wrong. The right thing to say is “Thank you, I worked hard on that project. What is awesome is how you handled XYZ during our staff meeting. Way to go!”

I believe true happiness is learning how to accept who we are and knowing that it is all good regardless of what anyone else thinks. We should strive to not speak in a negative way about ourselves or others. Accept praise, let it make you feel good and then move on. When we hear negative things or think negative thoughts we need to let them go even faster. Make a conscious effort to always be positive. The last thing the universe needs is another negative word or thought floating around! We should only speak when it is in the direction of progress, truth and love. Like my mom used to say "If you don't have anything good to say, than don't say anything at all." I would add something else to that though. I would say if you don't have anything good to say, than don't say anything at all... and don't think it either!!!

So to get what you really want you have to stay focus and recognize your progress. Continue to do the things that you know will make a difference and accept praise for a job well done. Today I am going to embrace what I have accomplished. I am going to relish in the fact that my legs are skinnier than I ever remember them being, I can dance for an hour or more straight, I can stay on my food plan, I can comfortably button up a pair of size 12 pants that I never could have a month ago. I feel stronger and healthier than I ever have in my entire life. I am truly proud of myself and not afraid to admit it. The more that I accept that this is how I feel, the happier I get. I am proud and humbled by my progress. I have to remember that this is a gift and feeling this way takes a lot of hard work. It takes focus and perseverance. It’s hard, but at the same time it is so, so easy. If you continue to recognize your forward movement, celebrate it, invite others who recognize it along with you for the ride, and stay consistent than only good things will happen. It is so strange how it works the same way as when we belittle ourselves. The more we speak negatively the less happy we feel and the more people don’t want to be around us. It seems crazy that it is that simple, but it is. It is amazing to start really believing it.

I have seriously got to get to work. So, until the next time…

Love,

The New You