Bad Excuses (By Wilson Horrell)

I have bad knees, at least I did. That's why I didn't run. I also had a bad back, which is why I didn't lift weights. OK, maybe the bad back was more for the pain pills, but either way, it was a crappy excuse. I could tell people that I had bad knees from playing football... in high school... until I was seventeen. I thought it was a good excuse and maybe even made me sound cool. You know, maybe I could have people believe that I was some sort of gridiron god who sacrificed the use of his lower body for the glory of the game. There are a lot of us who want this, and cling tightly to it. We all have "bad knees". Either way, my excuses are garbage.

You know who has "bad knees"? Larry Csonka. Martina Navratilova. Jim Brown has "bad knees". Kirk Gibson has "bad knees". Those are people who can use the term "bad knees" as if it is a legitimate medical diagnosis. I will let them slide. They have "bad knees" because it would take a month for them to rattle off all of the legitimate medical problems which they have been diagnosed.

Yours truly? Well, his diagnosis is more along the lines of overall laziness, denial, delusion, and unwillingness to sacrifice some discomfort in order to become a little more physically fit in an effort to enhance the quality of his life.

The reality is that I truly believed myself to have bad knees and a bad back. Society reinforced this by accepting such lameness. People are more than willing to shake their head and give you a sympathetic pat on the back. Sure, my knees were sore after years of playing a contact sport, but that was not an excuse to not use them again for the rest of my life. Lots of people play contact sports, who suffer far worse injuries than I ever did... they just choose not to dwell on them for the next couple of decades.

Yes, it hurts when I run.

Would you like to know why?

Because physical activity is uncomfortable, and progress requires discomfort.

Yes, my back hurts when I squat, or deadlift.

Would you like to know why?

Because I have mobility issues in my hips, and I am unwilling to take the time to do the proper stretches and mobility work required to correct the issue. Stretching is not sexy, and I want to spend my time doing the grunting, meathead movements that appeal to me. But, to say that any part of my body is "bad", without having, at the very least, a long string of hard to pronounce words with a Latin origin, is an excuse, not a reason.

I hear this so often. We all do. We all know a dozen people with a "bad back" or "bad knees", but we know far less with a clinical diagnosis, prognosis, and physical therapy plan to help correct the issue. We have become so accustomed to surrender. We just accept these physical limitations as truth, and prepare to lay down and die.

Now, I am not saying that everyone, or anyone, should run, walk, bike, swim, or lift weights. What I am saying is that if your excuse for not doing any of these things is because you have a "bad ____" that "hurts when I ____", you are making a poor excuse.

Here are some perfectly acceptable reasons, which I don't view as excuses. They are honest and valid. They are based on opinion, and I have no problem accepting honest opinions, my problem is with delusional excuses... which I have many.

"I don't exercise because it sucks."

"I don't CrossFit because I think you are all the highest level of douchebags on the planet."

"I don't run because I have better things to do with my time than experience heavy breathing, raw nipples, chafed thighs, and overall discomfort for the sake of shaving off a few minutes from some 5k time."

"I don't swim because I am a land dwelling mammal, who has not the least desire to strap on an ugly water cap and goofy looking goggles."

"I don't bike because I don't want to cruise around in a pack of egotistical goobs that look like uncomfortable alien people."

I can accept all of these as valid reasons. My point is not that everyone should exercise. My point is that I played the same tape through my head, over and over, for a period of years, and eventually I whole-heartedly believed the bullcrap that I was manufacturing. People have real issues, with very real limitations. However, I think there are many, many more people who just want to believe what is most comfortable.

Yes, running can make your knees hurt when you get old.

You know what else will make your knees hurt?

Old age. Carrying 300lbs worth of cheetos in your tits and lovehandles.

Yes, lifting can be hard on your back.

You know what else can give you back trouble as you get older?

Old age. Laying on a couch or recliner during every moment that you are not hunched behind a computer screen. So will carrying around a few hundred pounds of assorted gas station chicken tenders, jalepenos poppers, roller foods, and ordering enough cheese-bread and pizza that you send your delivery boy a graduation gift.

If you sing tenor in a roof-raising choir and you have a chronic sore throat, you don't tell people that you have a "bad throat". If you're lead guitar in a badass rock band and you can't feel the tips of your fingers, you don't tell people that you have "bad fingers". If you are a passionate writer who becomes dizzy and can't see the screen, you don't tell folks that you have "bad eyes". If you are a horsepower addicted mechanic and you can't grip a wrench, you don't tell people you have "bad hands". Hell no, you don't. You get down to causes and conditions. You won't accept a vague, blanketed excuse. You become willing to visit every doctor, lawyer, and Indian chief you can find within a gas tank from where you live.

I don't trust me. I'm not asking you to, either. I'm grateful to have the self awareness and willingness to look at my bad reasoning and identify these as excuses. There are plenty of reason to not do things that I can accept, but if I am falling under the delusion of a poorly placed excuse, well... I have peeps for that. I have community. I have people who listen to my thoughts, my strategies, and my motives. These people are who I rely on to keep me grounded, honest, and in somewhat of a realistic state.

Give that something a try. Try that thing in spite of the limiting factor, which has been holding you back for all these years. Through years of life, hardship, and personal growth, that limiting factor might have reduced into a hiccup or dissolved entirely, because you are stronger person now. Take that chance.

Try that thing.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Bad-Excuses&id=9604311

Turning and Returning

Was this the right decision; are you certain that your choice to turn from your well-beaten path to a new one was right? Sometimes life offers a glittery diversion, a dark challenge that beckons or even the opportunity to be a part of something you never thought was possible, offering the opportunity to make that turn even while a niggling doubt rises that warns of impending repercussions. The road is frequently bumpy when you are on the wrong path. Time and again opportunities disguised as disappointments arise that force you to re-examine the direction your life has taken; each time presenting a choice before you to turn around.

What causes people to take a path that felt wrong even in the initial appearance of the choice? Money is the most recognized cause; people make really bad choices when money is the only motivator. Beyond that are the opportunities to save someone from their own bad choices, the desire to show you are strong enough to survive something that is not your cross to bear or even the opportunity to feel important to a person or a cause you may not even believe in. These are just a few of the reasons we leave rational behind and make that turn onto the wrong path. Vulnerable for a multitude of reasons, willing to look away from the warnings and signals that suggest it will not take you where you hope to go.

You are ready to turn and return to your original path when you become haunted by the notion that you liked who you were far more than who you have become. When your secret place to hide inside contains memories of what lies behind you rather than what is before you, you are ready to return. It is usually complicated to untangle yourself from the chains that have bound you to the wrong path. They are held together by delusion, denial, coercion and manipulation. These are the chains that bind you to a bad path. Sometimes you create them yourself in an effort to believe what you wish was true. Other times you empower others to craft them around you in spite of your own reservations.

When you begin watching every motion and looking for the motivation behind it you are waking up to truth. It is the signal that says, 'time to go back to where I made this wrong turn.' The longer you ignore this sign the further downhill you will slide, making the return far more grueling than is necessary. You get to choose when to wake up from what has become your nightmare. When you do you will realize the only choice is turning and returning.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Turning-and-Returning&id=9620199

So You Have a Problem - Deal With It!

We have all heard specific statements over and over again. "Things are likely not going to change until you do something". "The first step to healing is acknowledgement. "Secrets form dysfunction". "There is no maintenance in life. You are either moving forward or moving backward".

We have heard them but don't always apply them at a personal level.

Let's consider some of the areas where you might be struggling: 

1. Communication - Many people suffer with social anxiety and, because of this, feel like they are isolated and unable to develop healthy relationships. Others find it difficult to understand or express their thoughts and feelings in a way that they are understood. Everyone has communication issues at times because people are complex. Perhaps you are having problems at work, in your social environment or with family members. 

2. Finances - Are you spending too much? Perhaps you do not have enough income to pay for your regular expenses. There is a big difference between "wants" and "needs" but very little training about how to be wise about money. Maybe you just want some good, solid advice about how to invest so that you will have a worry-free retirement. 

3. Relationships - Each of us takes our own history and expectations with us wherever we go. This can lead to clashes with others who do not agree or perhaps even seem to be "out to get us". Relationships are important but complex. 

4. Addictions - When a person uses a substance or activity for the wrong reasons, difficulties arise. Denial, however, can prevent individuals from realizing how their life and relationships are being negatively impacted. Often I hear clients tell me that they don't have a drinking or drug problem but their life is in shambles. 

5. Sex - Too much; too little; in the wrong place; with the wrong person; or can't? Sexual issues can include healthy, addictive or anorexic behaviours. 

6. Parenting - It would be lovely if there was a magic wand or book with all the answers but there isn't. And what complicates things is that each child is unique. Trying to parent in isolation can be a lonely and dangerous enterprise. 

7. Health - Physical problems are often accompanied by pain and hopelessness. It is the same with mental health issues such as depression. The difference is that often people who have an observable physical problem is treated differently than someone with a thought or mood disorder. 

8. Extended Family - "Should", "must", and "have to" messages can form the bars of our emotional cages. Often a lack of boundaries and controlling personalities cause problems, especially when children become adults and begin forming their own families.

If you are experiencing a problem in any of these or other areas you can: 

1. Do nothing knowing that things will not get better (and perhaps get worse). 

2. Research and implement strategies to improve your situation. 

3. Seek professional help. Most people have access to insured or government services.

Hiding a problem or wishing it would go away will likely not be effective choices. Instead, call a psychologist today and set an appointment so that you can discuss the healthy options that are available for you.

http://ezinearticles.com/?So-You-Have-a-Problem---Deal-With-It!&id=9634152