Alphabet Soup

This month there is an alphabet blog hop going on.  All the participants are posting something starting with a different letter, in order from A to Z, six days a week.  I came across it on the 1st, on A day, and didn't decide to join until B day.  Unfortunately, this means the linky list is already closed.  Upon further thought, I still think it's a wonderful idea, so here I am on C day, trying to catch up.

A is for Attitude. 

Wow, that just now popped into my head. I was planning to do Abs.  But really I think Attitude is more important.

Ask yourself:

What is my attitude toward good health? 

What is my attitude toward weight loss?

What is my attitude toward myself, my body, my current weight and state of health?

If you think it's all just a big hassle and probably not worth it, that's the place to start.  Can you change that thinking?  Can you look at pictures of yourself at a place in life where you enjoyed life more?

If you think you "should" do it but it's a chore, you make it a chore. How can you change that thinking?

So how can we change our attitudes to ones of joy, of enjoyment, of valuing ourselves and taking care of ourselves because we love ourselves enough to do it?

If you had a child who was desperately ill or injured and needed physical therapy every day, you would find a way to do it.  You would love him enough to put out the effort, to push him toward healing, even if he fights it.  Even though you know it may hurt at first, perhaps even a lot, you would do it.  You would take him to doctors, get the medicine he needs, and spend countless hours putting him through his physical therapy exercises. Wouldn't you?  

I have a grandchild who has cerebral palsy.  From the time he was tiny, he has had physical therapy and stretching exercises that needed to be done often.  Every time I interacted with him, I stretched out his tiny legs and arms.  If I changed a diaper, I stretched him, did "bicycle" movements with him, and so forth.  It took a lot of commitment, and he didn't like it very well, so to make it easier on him, I made a game out of it.  I played, laughed, made up little songs, and whatever else I could think of to distract him from his discomfort and make it fun and easier to do the work needed.

His mother takes him to physical therapy several times a week, and he is enrolled in a special preschool to help him learn and make the most of what he's got.  He may never walk or run, but he's probably more fit than many apparently healthy children.  We put forth all the effort because we love him so much.

The question is, why is it so hard to have the same attitude toward ourselves?  Why do we forget to play and make it fun?  I'm not saying everyone does, but there's a lot of Work in Workout.  Where did the play go?  When did we quit riding bikes for the fun of speeding down the hills?  When did we start shoveling snow instead of playing in it?  Sledding, making snow angels, having snowball fights, and building snowmen tends to go by the wayside as we grow up.

And most importantly, why do we forget to love ourselves enough to do everything we can to be fit?  Why do we start feeling like other people's needs have priority over ours?  Do I love myself enough to take myself through "Physical Therapy"?  Do I love myself enough to make it fun and easy?  Do I love myself enough to spend time and money on myself?  If I was really ill, wouldn't I spend time and money trying to get well?  Why do I find "unfit but not seriously ill" acceptable?  I'm not looking for perfection, but am I not as deserving of the time and effort needed to be 100% well?  

ATTITUDE

I'm working on  mine. Are you?