Wouldn’t life appear lovely if everything went as we hoped? If all our desires arose simply by giving our head a nod, wrinkling our nose, or snapping our fingers?

What if we could determine everything about our lives without any road blocks and things always went our way? I wish I could find a way to break it to you gently, but wake up…that world does not exist! We think it does because we think we have more control than possible.

We can only control our own decisions in addition to our attitudes, reactions, and perspectives. Even controlling our own decisions does not guarantee control over the direction they take us. Unexpected situations still happen. We still may face challenge and opposition. We may encounter surprises along the way, good or bad.

Instead of allowing such truths to costume the world as a frightening landscape, we should understand that loopy and wild roller-coaster of the unexpected makes life…life. Those areas which we cannot control force us to grow and encounter new experiences. They open up the means to learn to love and forgive others. They encourage us to adopt new ways of thinking and increase our knowledge. Sometimes, they even bring us to places better than we could have imagined.

Our lives turn into unbearable, desolate waste-grounds when we seek control over everything. Nothing will ever turn out exactly as we envision and disappointment will always arise. That isn’t to say we should have no expectations or desires out of life so that all circumstances seem good. We must avoid the allure of controlling others or certain things about ourselves to feel reassurance. Find reassurance for life in the positive choices made each day for all areas of our lives. Seek confidence in the ability to keep an open mind to new avenues. Encounter hope in the belief that, even when life may not go as intended, opportunities still exist. Give up control and gain life.

Quotes to Reflect On
I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

It makes no sense to worry about things you have no control over because there's nothing you can do about them, and why worry about things you do control? The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized. ~Wayne Dyer

Question of the Day - What things in life might you try to control?

We cannot deny that part of loving ourselves fully comes with loving our bodies. We have already discussed the importance of appreciating what our bodies can do for us as well as avoiding the trap of idolizing them. How do all these thoughts and ideals play out in practice though? Exercise, if approached considerately, plays a significant role in helping us achieve self-love.

First of all, we need to take a closer look at what we classify as exercise. It does not only consist of running, taking intense fitness classes, doing yoga, or lifting weights. In my mind, exercise simply means movement of the body with a health benefit. So walking to and from work, dancing around your living room, chasing around your kids, strolling through a new city while sightseeing, hiking with friends, and so many other activities count as exercise. Just because we don’t visit a gym, a running trail, a yoga studio, or that area of our house marked off for our Insanity DVDs doesn’t negate our physical activity.

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We must also keep a few other things in mind when discussing exercise. The number one reason to spend time “working on our fitness” (as Fergie would say) is simply that. To work on our fitness. Our health. The benefits it provides our bodies. We need to love our cardio workouts first and foremost for strengthening our cardiovascular systems. We need to  love our lifting sessions for the extra bone density it builds and strength for everyday living. We need to love our yoga for the flexibility it provides our muscles to protect themselves and the ease of mind that reduces stress. We need to appreciate exercise for the endorphins to enjoy life, the appropriate hormonal levels to aid sleep and focus, and the additional strength at combating chronic diseases. Forget the smaller pants size and nicer arms. Exercise helps give you a better life to enjoy your body and all of its gifts! How could we even forget that?

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Having fitness related goals also can spark motivation, determination, and strength in an individual. Working towards an exercise involved goal is not a bad thing. In fact, it can promote self-love by uplifting a person and helping display admirable characteristics he or she might otherwise have ignored. While we must always be cautious of letting any goal consume our lives, we should take pride in our fitness accomplishments. Find something you truly enjoy and let it help the awesomeness of you shine through. Take caution to keep fitness related goals fun and then reap the rewards.

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As you can see, exercise has a lot of power to either strengthen us physically and mentally or wear us down in those ways as well. Our perspective and focus on exercise determine which happens to us. Do we take notice of all the fabulous things we do for our  health physically? Can we appreciate them even if not in the traditional workout setting? Do we enjoy our fitness activities and goals? Do we refrain from losing focus on life as a whole in pursuit of those goals? Let exercise fulfill you, not control you.

Quotes to Reflect On
Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states.  ~Carol Welch

Exercise is a dirty word.  Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate.  ~Author Unknown (just because it made me laugh)

Has exercise ever controlled your life or defined you in a negative way? What ways can/do you pursue fitness for health and a stronger sense of self? I know when I trained for my fitness competition I allowed that goal to eclipse other areas of my life and lost respect of myself in the process. Realigning my focus to pursue fitness as something I love and to better my health made me feel strong and positive. I will always have fitness goals to give me something to be proud of, but will not allow them to overshadow  myself as a whole.