I knew it was going to be bad when I pulled into the gym parking lot tonight and I had to drive to the far end of the parking lot before finding an open space. Ugh. I was already imaging how long it would be before I found a free treadmill.
People forewarned me that these first few days of January were insane. The inside of the gym was packed and there was someone using just about every piece of equipment. Luckily, I was able to get onto a treadmill without too much of a wait and started my workout.
As I looked around, I saw a lot of overweight people. I wondered how long they’ll stick it out. A week, maybe two, then give up…
Deep in thought, I caught myself. I remembered that I got my membership one year ago this week. A year ago, I was just like them. Yeah, I wanted to give up that first week, but I didn’t. Same for the second week, and the third.
In the past, I had always given up on exercise, and I paid a price for it. But, for whatever reason, this time around, I stuck with it, and I’m now in the best shape of my life. Coming to this realization changed my whole perspective on the people around me.
Instead of being angry that there were no parking spaces and that I couldn’t get on my regular treadmill (the one with the working heart rate monitor), I wanted to become these people’s cheerleader. It would have been pretty weird to pat everyone on the back, so I kept the cheering to myself, but I was happy for them. 🙂
We need to rejoice every time someone sets out to improve themselves. Our enthusiasm shouldn’t depend on whether they stick with it or not. If we focused on today, then we’d have something to cheer about.
They got off the couch, away from the tv, and made it to the gym. Maybe they even decided to eat better.
The thing is, they’re trying, and that’s just great. I hope they stick it out!
If you know someone who might benefit from some time at the gym, encourage them to go. Get them a guest pass and take them with you If you don’t belong to a gym, get moving and join the crowd. Most facilities offer all kinds of discounts during the month of January and many of their programs start this week.
Let the transformations begin.
