I won’t even attempt to apologize for my lack of dedication over the last few days. I spent a wonderful weekend at home with my family and got to take a small, welcome break from technology. That said, I heard my posts might have actually been missed a little bit and I feel the only way to remedy the situation is through action.

So here’s my action.

This has been an interesting weekend for me. As many of you may know, I am in a bit of a plateau as far as my strength gains and weight loss goals go. I was overcome by this disappointment and slipped slowly into a minor funk. “What kind of funk,” you might ask? The “I don’t look like I put as much effort as I do into working out and eating well” funk. There is a rather desperate urge that overcomes me when I’m in this state, and I find myself frantically googling quick ways to lose weight. I thought briefly about liposuction, quickly readjusted, and considered buying Insanity.

Then it occurred to me how lucky I am.

It’s true; the curse of the Morgan legs is the worst of my problems. This, in and of itself, is something to be thankful for. I try to keep in mind that everyday there are approximately 151,600 people who die and of them, I’m quite certain that at least 60% would gladly take my thick Morgan legs in exchange for one more day on earth. So I guess what I’m saying is “Mind over Matter” is a very real thing, and that changing your mindset can change everything.

Thank you, Captain Motivation.

So honesty is the best policy, and I will be frank with you: I struggle. I have lots of faith and I still struggle. It’s all about perspective, I think, and the great thing about perspective is that it can change simply by shuffling your feet an inch in another direction or merely tilting your head. It’s that easy. So let’s talk about a handful of ways to change our mindsets, shall we?

Change Your Body

This may seem a little obvious, but I’m not simply talking about losing or gaining weight. I’m talking about appearance. More often than not, our perceptions of ourselves directly correlate to how we think others perceive us. Not how others perceive us, but rather how we think we are perceived. I’ll tackle that monster in a minute, but I want to talk now about being the change you want to see. For a long time, my dream girl has been outdoorsy (but not manly), slender, athletic, and had long, wavy beach hair. She’s adventurous, and as a result does things like scaling a mountain or hiking for days because she enjoys it. I know exactly who she is and what she looks like, likely because I’ve imagined what my life will be like when I am her since I was twelve. That’s the key there: since I was twelve. I can honestly say that it wasn’t until I was 20, maybe even 21 or 22 that I actually made any effort to actually BE that girl. I’ve thought about it and thought about it and told myself “one day” but not once did I think “maybe today I will start.” What can I say; I’m a thinker, not a doer.

Luckily, I’m dating a doer. I have a take a moment to applaud Daniel for his uncanny ability to put his mind to something and actually see it through. This is not only a foreign concept to me, it actually had me checking for his belly button to ensure that he wasn’t actually a cyborg. But I’ve learned something very important from this alien boyfriend of mine: it’s possible to change.

I read somewhere that you should take a long look at your reflection, decide what you want to change, and change it. I’m not suggesting any sort of drastic plastic surgery or anything here, but I think the concept still applies. How do you want to be remembered? How do you want to be seen on a day-to-day basis? Are you that person?

If not, change it. Try pretending to be that person. Just for a day or two. Make a small effort in the direction of your goal and over time, you’ll find that you’re more of the person you always wanted to be without ever even really trying. It just kind of happens.

Change Your Mind

This is important. Ever wonder why you feel uncomfortable in a swim suit, yet see a ton of people out on the beach wearing speedos and string bikinis that shouldn’t be wearing speedos and string bikinis? I always try to take a moment to applaud those people on their confidence and then hold my head a little higher knowing that I’m really only so bad in my own mind.

This is more than a weight thing. People want to be known, but we have a tendency to be afraid of being known because we think we, in some way, won’t be good enough. If I don’t try hard enough, if I fail it will be because I didn’t try, not because I couldn’t do it. But here’s the big secret no one wants you to know: We all feel this way. You are just as good as every one else in every way. There will always be someone better or smarter or stronger than you, and you will always be better or smarter or stronger than someone else. And potential isn’t merely for the young. Today you could become an artist at 40, or go back to school at 65. There’s nothing stopping you except yourself and your fear, but once you let go of that you truly can do anything you want.

Likewise, happiness is a choice. Everyday you attribute importance to the events of your life, and you absolutely choose to let bad experiences weigh in heavier than good ones. This doesn’t have to be the case! Next time you’re frustrated with a loved one, imagine them as a small child, learning things for the very first time (maybe they actually are a small child). Try to remember that no one is perfect, especially you, and that we’re all doing the best we can with what we have.

All in all, remember that you are the only person who has any power over the course of your life, and that those who have power over you only do so because you let them. Focus on the things you want to achieve and the person you want to be, then do everything in your power to make that happen.

It’s all about mindset.