Let’s talk about Pop, Soda, or if you live in the south a ‘Coke’…even though you actually mean a Sprite. (Can’t say I fully understand that one…)
Ok let’s be honest with each other, do you really need me to list off all of the reasons why we should ‘Just Say No’ to this choice of beverage? We all know that it’s empty calories with no nutritional value with tons of chemicals and sugar that serve no healthy purpose. Does it taste good though? ‘You Bet Cha!’ The reality is many of you are making the conscious choice to consume a tasty soda beverage, and quite possibly a lot of it. Is that wrong? Believe it or not I say NO! It’s a choice and I’m not here to guilt or force you into changing your behavior. I’m here to help facilitate, and at times challenge you and your thinking, as in the end lasting change MUST come from within.
With that said, I will say is that there are not enough fingers and toes for me to count the number of times I’ve consulted with a client who’s looking to making a positive change in their life through quality exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, and when I assess their nutrition/lifestyle log, what do I see? Diet Coke for this meal…Pepsi for that meal or snack. As we then enter into the discussion of their choices, trying to make a doable plan selecting the lowest hanging fruit as a starting point, there is resistance.
If you come to me and say that you want to improve your health and you’re resistant to making changes, then it’s just not the right time and you’re not truly ready to step into a new direction…and that’s 100% ok. You’re not a failure, and there is no judgment. It’s just not the right time, and as I’ve said to many clients in the past, “When you’re ready, I’ll be here to help.”
Simply put, what you truly value for yourself, you’ll do! Think of the top 4 or 5 things in your life that you’ll prioritize without a second thought. Things that you’d move your life around, or turn on end to make happen. Those are elements in your life that you highly value. The contrast being things that are simply a drag. You know what I mean. These ‘priorities’ are that are ‘so important to you’ that require you to set 5 alarms or reminders, and you still end up missing the deadline or commitment. Are you a bad person for this…nope, it just is. Get this though; the biggest challenge is that you can’t be in judgment about this. It is what it is, with the caveat being that your current state of being is just that, it’s current. Right now, not tomorrow, next week, or next year. It’s not fixed. It is ever malleable based on you, your mindset, and your values. If you want to change the status quo, you can at any time.
In the end, are we really talking about pop anymore…I think you know the answer. Pop was just a gateway topic to a larger conversation on acceptance of our values and our actions. A conversation that I’ll be coming back to over an over again in future posts, and to understand and accept this allows us to better understand and be true to ourselves.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I personally have over 30+ years of my life drinking my bodyweight in Dr. Pepper on a daily basis – morning, lunch, and dinner, loving every minute of it. I’ll tell you though that when I made the choice to improve my life and health, it was the FIRST thing to go and I’ve never looked back.
– Written by Michael Pilhofer (MSP)
