The Irony of Commitment- A guest blog.
2011 August 22
A note from Dr. Stephen Franson about our guest blogger: All patients inspire us. Some through sweat. Some through blood. Some through tears. And some through all of the above. Meet Susie – Supah Stah:
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating – in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. ~Anne Morriss
I don’t know about you, but I am 100% sure that my biggest barrier to anything and everything that I hope to be, do, or have in my life resides somewhere between my ears. Here’s my proof:
- When I follow a Paleo-based way of eating, I feel nourished and energetic.
- When I CrossFit, I feel strong and powerful.
- When I make a daily practice of certain spiritual actions, I feel peaceful, connected, and certain of where I’m headed.
Nourished. Energetic. Strong. Powerful. Peaceful. Connected. Certain.
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Yet I repeatedly fall off the wagon, face first into processed foods, a couch potato-like lifestyle, and suddenly become “too busy” to journal, read uplifting books, or even take my fish oil capsules (you know how time consuming that can be).
In fact, that’s right where I am today – after four solid weeks of eating Paleo foods, I went away for the weekend to celebrate my niece’s upcoming wedding. All weekend, I helped my sister prepare food for 50 shower guests. All weekend, I ate processed foods, noticing all the while how tired I suddenly was, how awfully salty certain foods tasted, and how swiftly I was plagued with less than kind thoughts about myself…sigh.
No problem, I told myself, I’ll get right back on track on Monday morning.
Except that Monday morning came, and I didn’t have any Paleo food ready for breakfast…and so the “I’ll start tomorrow” game began again.
I am not lacking for support or resources – I have an incredible team of people rooting for me, through Franson Family Chiropractic and Bonfire Health, through the CrossFit community, and in my own life. The only thing holding me back is my oftentimes wavering commitment to my own health. So today I’m going public with my intentions:
I intend to feel nourished, energetic, strong, powerful, peaceful, connected, and certain on a daily basis.
Does this mean that I won’t eat wedding cake next month, or ever again enjoy non-Paleo food? No, although I could certainly choose not to indulge. I used to think in very black and white terms, and one bite would often lead me to months of overeating and weight gain. Now I know that I have the resilience to return to the actions that best serve my health – but I also know that without a plan, I’ll be up the same old creek once again. Where I went wrong this week was not preparing ahead. Had I packed some food to take with me, I could’ve eaten and felt better most or all of the weekend. Had I come home and taken the time to make sure I had at least a good breakfast ready to eat the next morning, I’d be feeling a whole lot better today.
Resilience isn’t enough. Consistency is key – consistency with food, with movement, with thought.
My commitment this week is to be very scout-like: always being prepared is time-consuming, but completely worth the effort.
If anyone out there a) is still reading this, b) can relate, and c) wants to join me and make their own commitment to health, I promise you this is not a case of “misery loves company.” There’s nothing miserable about feeling your best.
-Susie
2 Responses
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a, b, and c, I’m with you Susie, and I will get back on track with you, starting this second. I fell of the wagon a month ago after having received a glowing annual physical from my PCP. I was a star, baby! My labs were trending in the right direction, I felt great, and I suppose a bit too cocky. I have all kinds of wimpy excuses, traveling, summer, but who cares, I fell off track and days flew by. As of this moment, I’m back on the program – eating – thinking – moving (which includes that pesky panting), I’m bringing it on. Thanks for your honesty and inspiration, Susie.
Barbara
What an honest, heart felt piece Susie. The impact of sharing your story like that is powerful. Thank you for being willing speak so genuinely about your journey – high points and low. It’s the reality of dynamic life. The committment to consistency cannot be downplayed. It’s a struggle – and it’s by that intense struggle that victory is made so sweet. Every day victories. Everyday getting healthier…
Thanks for being you, Scout! I’ll check in with you next week
Blessings,
Alexis