Living and Enjoying Life are 2 very different things

(Keyhole photo by Kinderash)

Any lazy “scaredy-cat” three-toed slot can drag their way through life playing by all the house rules, but it takes a truly enlightened person to learn how to “live” and truly invent their own game in the process.

Here it is: Why does it seem that everyone is so content with living bland and unexceptional lives? I know this may seem off-topic, but in the grand scheme of things it really isn’t at all. The walls that trap people inside their old ways and habits, are the same walls that can also keep them obese and unhappy. The world around us is more than happy to enable us to think that we’re just victims of circumstance and there is nothing that we can do about it.

Well, my friends, let me tell you – there is ALWAYS something that can be done.

Today I want you to think about it for a second – Think of it as homework. I want you to dig deep and answer the question: “what is REALLY making me unhappy?” Don’t rationalize it away immediately when you think of it either. I’m sure that for most of you, the thing that makes you truly unhappy will be quickly self-categorized as either “something that you don’t (think you) have any control over” or “something that would be much too hard and painful to change”. If you answered with either of those excuses. I’m sure that you’re wrong – and you know it.

So, the question remains, why aren’t we all living the lives that we dream about?

One word. Fear.

Fear of change, fear of confrontation, fear of the unknown.

I’m not talking solely about changing your diet for the better either, even though diet and fitness are what this blog is all about, I’m talking about anything that keeps you from waking up in the morning – bouncing out of bed and saying,

“This is going to be the best day ever – just like yesterday, just like tomorrow!”

(that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get it idea)

• Maybe you hate your job.

• Maybe you can’t stand your spouse or they make life unliveable.

• Maybe you are unhappy with your appearance.

• Maybe (insert reason here)

Whatever it is, its obviously something that doesn’t come easy – or you probably would have fixed it already, right? Well, maybe not. Sometimes even the easiest and most obvious problems look insurmountable to our warped self-perspective.

Whenever we enter uncharted waters we go into a “Fear Response” mode, which basically cripples our ability to grow and evolve like we should. Too often we just stay stuck in bad (but familiar) situations just because we’ve become “comfortable” with the pain and unhappiness.

I’ll give you an example, lets go into the time machine for a minute…

For years I was in a bad relationship and did nothing about it. I was constantly thinking that “things will change, things will get better”, but at the same time I wasn’t doing anything to try and fix it. I just went “with the flow”, well guess what – things just got worse with time, and eventually it turned into a bad marriage. It took a lot of guts (and a random job loss which actually sparked the re-alignment) to finally break free. It was scary and unpredictable – everything I had ever known for the prior 6 years (which is a long time when you’re 25) was suddenly very different. I was starting over from scratch with everything. I was back in “learning mode” – I made a lot of bad decisions and floundered around aimlessly for some time afterwards… but you know what? It was ME making those bad decisions – not anyone else. I had regained control of my life, even though I had not learned how to properly “steer it” yet.

The sad thing is that I don’t think this type of story is unique at all…

I think many people are stuck in that “unhappy limbo”, they wish and pray for things to be better – but things will never get better unless you take the initiative to MAKE them better.

A few weeks ago I made a video on this very topic on the FlipCam in my car. I was also parked at a random suburban McDonalds (you know, for cheap and dirty protein snacks). I apologize in advance for the quality of the video, my big head, and the fact that I look like unwashed ass (I was driving home from an epic bike path adventure on a hot-ass day) – but all that aside, I think the message is decently solid and relevant with today’s post.

What does everyone think? Its kind of going into “wishy-washy” and “feel good” motivation type territory, but it CAN be applied to weight loss – anything that improves us and brings us closer to who we want to be. It doesn’t matter if we’re aiming for 11% body fat – or landing a job that we TRULY love. Self-improvement and empowerment is what its all about.

Sometimes you really do need to “fight” for your happiness.

(Low Carb “Fight Club” indeed)

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