Imagine if we all walked around with our bank balance lit up on our heads? Or a relationship score card out of 10 pinned to our chest? 

And people got to judge us on that?

“wow she must be to totally unmotivated and downright lazy… or maybe just dumb.”

“guess he treats his partner like rubbish… he’s probably a slime-bag cheater.”

One of the observations I hear about a weight loss goal is it’s hard to have your limitations, your dirty laundry if you like, so painfully visible.  “What if I give it my all and it doesn’t work? …then everyone will know, I’ve failed”

 

To which I have a couple of responses.

Most obviously;

Why fear other peoples (perceived) judgement of you ‘failing’ at having a fit and healthy body – given that’s where you’re already at right now?  So it can only stay the same or get better.  To me it’s a no lose situation.

At a deeper level;

Judgement.

There is zero value in judgement.  And the curious thing is that this happiness zapping emotion is absolutely a reflection of your own stuff.  If you’re feeling judgement being leveled at you, it’s merely a reflection of the judgement you’re putting out there into the world.

Test it. 

I did. I used to hang around with some fairly judgement people… and it’s something I ‘do’ fairly naturally too, so it bought out the worst in me.  It’s really not a fun way to live – judgement will escalate if you let it.

Thankfully, acceptance and gratitude are also a self perpetuating cycle.

Once you create a habit of looking for the best in each person you meet – whether they carry their challenges lit up in lights or masked from view – you will notice that seeing the best in people starts to become more natural.  That it’s a vastly more enjoyable way to live.  Also that, other peoples judgement of you begins to dissipate.  Oh, and BONUS (!) seeing the best IN YOURSELF starts to become easier and easier as well.

We all have challenges.  Imperfections.  Massive ‘to work ons’!

However most human challenges are not so public as your weight.

Is your current body shape – and it’s visibility to the world a ball and chain? And could it rather be evidence of just how committed you are to achieving this goal? An easy challenge isn’t going to be satisfying… you’ve got to work for it to appreciate it.

(and have you noticed that you don’t get to keep things you don’t appreciate?)

Isn’t it true we respect the fabulously wealthy who didn’t come from money? …we respect them because they worked their butts off for their success.  Perhaps they even lost it all at some point and clawed their way back to financial freedom?  That is impressive.  Inspiring.  It gives us hope.

Or the athletes that ‘failed’ and then made it big… The famous authors that were turned down by their first few dozen publishers… The musicians or artists that were given scathing reviews and stuck with it – for as long as it took.

Making private challenges public has long been a success principle.

Movember is a fantastic example. Movember succeeded because they figured out how to make the private public… to raise awareness for the previously not discussed issue of prostate cancer and ‘change the face of men’s health’.

We ALL have our private challenges, however making them public galvanizes support… and if there is any area of life you are going to need support to succeed and to stay successful it’s with achieving your weight loss goal and maintaining your health.