The other day I was talking with my friend about our journeys toward better health. We were reflecting on how far we’ve come so far. We have both dropped some pounds but most importantly, we are physically stronger, have more endurance, confidence and can really see results in the way our clothes fit. She mentioned how she was getting ready for date night and because she had toned up her body, she had so many more options of clothing. She had kept a lot of her smaller clothes as many people do…with the hopes of maybe fitting into them one day. Well, her one day had come!!! She was so excited to measure her progress by fitting into once snug outfits. I am so inspired by her.
I can see my progress in the way my clothes fit. But I never kept any of my “skinny” clothes. I’ve worn a size 12 for more than 10 years, so my hope of fitting into smaller clothes was long gone. I had settled, and actually was on the verge of buying a size bigger when I finally decided that enough was enough. That was a year ago. I have since dropped 22 pounds. I have a ton of size 12 clothes. I considered wearing my current clothes that are now hanging off my body, but when I looked at myself in the mirror, I looked sloppy. I didn’t like it. I bought a few new items in size 10 and I’m loving how they fit.
After much contemplation, I decided to start getting rid of my size 12 clothes. Up till now, I was keeping them because I wasn’t 100% sure in my ability to maintain this new lifestyle. I was afraid that I might slip up and gain the weight back. I lacked confidence in my own ability to remain accountable to myself. I convinced my self that it would be okay if I gained the weight back because I would still have a lot of clothes to wear. I would have an escape option, a safety net. But then I remembered hearing the story of Cortes as he conquered VeraCruz in 1519. As they came ashore, he ordered his men to burn all the boats so they would either conquer or be killed. Tony Robbins recounted this story to us at one of his live events. He said, “If you want to take the island, burn your boats!!!” Make the decision to succeed and remove all options for failure or retreat. Yesterday, I removed all my clothes that are too big for me. As much as I love them, they’re gone and no longer serving a purpose for me. I have a renewed sense of commitment to myself, my family and my health. With no more “big” clothes in my closet, I have no choice but to remain relentless on this journey. My boats have officially been burned.
Live-Love-La-Pasion 