Choices

I'm realizing more and more that every day is another chance to make choices. Not just surrounding food, but about who I am as a person. Aside from the consequences of poor choices, in general, my choices yesterday (or a minute ago) don't lock me in to my choices for today (or a minute from now). Yesterday, I may have chosen to have an angry, irrational reaction to my family. It doesn't mean that's who I am or that I have to continue having that angry reaction.

When I woke up this morning, the onslaught of choices were amazing:

a. Hit snooze – wake up? (chose snooze twice)
b. Let out the dog – or take care of my needs first? (chose myself – then my dog)
c. Jeans and Husky shirt – nice new professional work outfit? (come on – it's Friday – jeans!)
d. Eat right away – wait until I get to work? (oatmeal at work)
e. Wake up Caleb – let him get his rest? (he got up on his own minutes later)
f. Yell at Caleb for playing when he's supposed to be getting ready – gently follow through with the consequences (that he's fully aware of) of not listening to his mom? (this morning, I yelled)

And those were just choices for the immediate and physical. There are millions of mental choices that we all make every second of our lives.

Will I look at the glass as half full today?
Will I learn to see that my husband loves me and that's the basis for his actions towards me (not to annoy me!).
Will I choose to view my job as a blessing or a curse?
Will I choose a spinach salad or a cheeseburger with fries?
Will what I choose to eat change my outlook for the day?
Will I give away my joy over a harsh word or hang on to it – KNOWing it's not worth it?
Will I feed the positive (or negative) version of me with more of the same?

Every second is another choice opportunity. I'm continually standing at the fork in the road and, usually, there is a better path to choose. That fact is exhilarating to me. Nothing is written in stone. Even if I chose the Cheeseburger-and-Fry path for the last 365 days, that doesn't mean that's the path I have to choose today. I've seen research that shows a switch to healthy eating actually reverses damage done by unhealthy eating. It's never too late to change choices.

As I'm writing this, I think I may be making some choices based on what I've always done. So, today, I am choosing to look at my choices with fresh eyes.

My Soundtrack

For those who don't know, the Weight Watcher meeting that changed my life was basically discussing music- the sound track to your weight loss. The goal was to change the negative "music" that you allow to play in your mind. The question was posed, "What song comes to mind when thinking about your weight loss?" Some wise person answered Never Gonna Break My Stride. The first one that came to mind for me was Your Cheatin' Heart.

I immediately came home and spent the day trolling iTunes for upbeat songs that would be my theme song. The result was a full soundtrack. I've now had two years of an ever-evolving workout playlist that pushes me harder while I'm on the eliptical. There was also a side-benefit that I was surprised by. By associating these songs with the "feel good" benefit of the workout, the songs alone create a desire in me to hit the gym.

A few of my favorites:

Because We Can, Fatboy Slim
All Star, Smash Mouth
I Like to Move It, Madagascar 5
Fighter, Christina Aguilera
You Should Be Dancing, Bee Gees (dance remix)
Get Ready for This, Crazy Frog
Walk This Way, Run-DMC
You Sexy Thing, Hot Chocolate (dance remix)

My cool-down song has remained the same for every workout and it has become my Theme Song - the reason why I do what I do. I've included the important lyrics below, saving the chorus for the end.

I Want to Live
Josh Gracin

Sometimes I feel like I need to shake myself, to wake myself:
I feel like I'm just sleep walking through my life.
It's like I'm swimming in an ocean of emotion,
But still, somehow, slowly going numb inside.
I don't like who I'm becoming, I know I've gotta do something
Before my life passes right by.

So I can feel the ground beneath me, really taste this air I'm breathing,
And know that I'm alive. I want to cry like the rain
To shine like the sun on a beautiful morning,
Sing to the heavens like a church bell ringing,
Fight with the devil and go down swinging.
Fly like a bird, roll like a stone,
Love like I ain't afraid to be alone.
Take everything that this world has to give.
I want to live.

I want to take every breath I can get.
I want to live.