GETTING TO THE ROOT....

For the past four summers I have battled with a patch of cockleburrs in my backyard. Early in the season I'd used the lawn mower to beat them to the ground. Easy...and fast. But as the long days of summer moved in... the lawn mowing slowed right along with the growth of the grass. And I'd forget about that little problem.
By mid August...those darned cockleburrs would be five feet tall and on the verge of blooming.

Most times that's when I remember to get out there and chop them down before they go to seed and create more plants in the spring.Year after year 'Ive done this...never thinking my actions through and coming to a better solution to removing those "burrs" threatening to take over my yard.

That futile action to beautify my backyard reminds me of my failed attempts at beautifying my backside!
Before BFL I'd go on the latest diet. Lose a few pounds, start to look good but then become distracted. Soon my inaction would take root, bloom and create seeds of doubt. Within days my weight and all of its problems would return just like those darned cockleburr plants.

What I now realize is that in order to resolve any problem I have to tackle it at its roots. I have to make major changes in the way I think and in the things I do day in and day out.

I've got my lifestyle on the right path.
As for those darned cockleburrs? This weekend, I am going to get a shovel and dig them up by their roots! There's quite a patch. I figure that if I throw all my energy into this project Ill managed a good upper body work out in the process.

Dog Daze....

Getting at the root...by: Michelle Lee 8/11/2005 10:41:10 AM

For the past four summers I have battled with a patch of cockleburrs in my backyard. Early in the season Ive used the lawn mower to beat them to the ground. Easy...and fast. But as the long days of summer moved in... the lawn mowing slowed right along with the growth of the grass. And Id forget about that little problem.By mid August...those darned cockleburrs would be five feet tall and on the verge of blooming. Most times thats when I remember to get out there and chop them down before they go to seed and create more plants in the spring.Year after year Ive done this...never thinking my actions through and coming to a better solution to removing these "burrs" threatening to take over my yard.That futile action to beautify my backyard reminds me of my failed attempts at beautifying my backside!Before BFL Id go on the latest diet. Lose a few pounds, start to look good but then become distracted. Soon my inaction would take root, bloom and create seeds of doubt. Within days my weight and all of its problems would return just like those darned cockleburr plants. What I now realize is that in order to resolve any problem I have to tackle it at its roots. I have to make major changes in the way I think and in the things I do day in and day out. Ive got my lifestyle on the right path. As for those darned cockleburrs? This weekend, I am going to get a shovel and dig them up by their roots! Theres quite a patch. I figure that if I throw all my energy into this project Ill

Continuity is Key!

Today as I was reading the guest book on the Body for Life website at bodyforlife.com I was struck by how cyclical my favorite morning read is!


--There are entries from people filled with excitement. They are made by those just learning about the program, those just starting the program and those who have hit the five or eight week mark and are finally seeing major changes. Those posts really get me pumped!
--Then there are those entries reflecting the struggling to recover the excitement mentioned above. They authors lament missed work outs, wild free weeks...unplanned meals...lack of vision...lack of progress. (Their names change....they come, they post they leave and others replace them.)
--And then there are those who have crossed the abyss, are doing what it takes to succeed mentally, spiritually and physically and continue to move forward on the BFL path. (Their names pop up regularly, week after week...month after month and year after year.)

Most posters, including myself have hit each of the three cycles I've just mentioned. Some find they repeat those three cycles over and over again....like a loud clanking tennis shoe turning in a dryer over and over again. When the machine stops they fall to the floor and fail to pick themselves up and get moving again.

As discouraging that that may seem I'm here to tell you...people do come out of the dryer...bright and refreshed and ready to continue down the BFL Path. Those are the ones that inspire me!
--They are the BFL'ers who do it by the book and each day make a decision to choose the less traveled path. From what I read on the guestbook ... and see when I take part in BFL functions their efforts pay off. They've grown strong and fit. They glow with a healthy attitude. They are living their lives....not waiting for those lives to begin!

What do they have in common? They are the names I have seen over and over again on the guest book these past three years. They are the glue that holds this program together. They are proof that when we stick with the program we too will find succeed.

Continuity is key!