Top 20 Fitness

Yesterday we had a couple speakers for our inservice at work it was called Top 20.  To put it simply, they were amazing!  So much of what they said applies to every part of life, including fitness.  This morning I spent my morning ride thinking about what things I remembered that I could put into fitness. So here goes...
Failure is an event not a person
This one hit home because, of course, my blog is titled The Fitness Failure.  My failing at fitness is simply an event in my life.  I am not a failure as a result-not that I ever thought that I was.  I am no better or worse person because as one point I failed miserably at fitness.  In fact, the fact that I WAS failing at fitness made me learn how to be better.  Failing taught me something which makes it a wonderful thing.
Keep your day, you only get one August 16, 2011
This is something else that also really stuck with me... We sometimes get to thinking that our days here on earth are infinite when in fact they are finite.  We only get so many days to get out and do things that we want to do.  Also, as time passes, those things that we want to do may get harder to achieve.  Think about this: If you are not motivated to work out NOW, think of how much harder it will be to work out or get in shape years from now.  I want to look at my August 16, 2011 and know that I was doing something I was proud of and something that made me feel better.
You choose how you feel on any given day about any given event
This is where the top 20/bottom 80 really comes in.  You can choose to handle any given situation like a top 20 or a bottom 80.  Top 20s tend to take more control of situations and bottom 80s tend to blame more in situations and give away their power.  I am over weight and that is on me.  I avoided exercise, I ate crappy food, and I ate too much.  I could say...healthy food is too expensive and I don't have time for exercise (like I used to) but that does me no good. It gets me nowhere.  I will still be overweight.
Some people wait for crisis to force them to change
When do most people start dieting and exercising?  When they, or someone around them, has a health crisis.  Why do we have to hit rock bottom to change? Change now!
The frame: See-->Feel-->Do-->Get
How we see things affects how we feel about them, how we feel about them affects what we do, and what we do affects what we get.  This is a cycle that people go through in any part of life but especially fitness ventures.  Example: I used to see myself as lazy.  I felt bad about being lazy.  I did nothing and continued to be lazy (because that was how I saw myself), I got obese.  Did I like what I got? No!  Did anything change at that time? No!  It didn't really change until I changed what I SAW.  I started to see myself as someone who was failing at fitness.  I felt as if continued failure was not an option.  I dusted the cob webs off my bike, bought a Points Plus calculator and a book and I took action!  What did I get?  What you read about every time you check in here.  I get this new wonderful feeling about what I am doing for myself.  I see myself as someone who can be fit.  I feel better about the food I eat and the time I spend on myself.  I am a better me because I saw things differently.
You could say that the inservice that I attended changed me but I really feel that it put words to what I have been feeling and writing about for almost a month now.  I hope that everyone can take something away from this post, fitness related or not, because there are some wonderful messages here THANKS TOP 20!