One of the biggest factors in your prosperity is the people you associate with. They color your goals, expectations, and what you believe can be achieved in your lifetime.
The five most important people for your prosperity are not necessarily consciously chosen. It is much more likely that it just happened. You may have heard that if you add up the annual income of the five closest friends and divide it by five, you will likely find that is the amount you make a year.
This does not stop with money-carry the idea further to the quality of your health, relationships and happiness. In particular, we need to understand the impact these friends have where health is concerned. How much similarity is there in eating and exercise habits?
You made the decision to move to a healthy lifestyle. No doubt there was anxiety over change, and fears about your ability to persevere. You are not actually trying to be something different, but are simply letting go of all the wrong habits that you have mistakenly accepted for a while. This is the time when that circle of close friends can become crucial.
At the start your closest friends encouraged and praised your success in losing weight. You probably heard some “that is what I have been telling you” words mixed in. Also, you have met some new role models who know how to have the health that you want.
When you get close to your goals, problems start happening. Strangers and casual acquaintances are complimenting you about your appearance. However, your close friends now seem to be doing their best to sabotage your weight loss.
One long-time friend invites you to her favorite pizza place to celebrate and you end up choosing the sausage with extra cheese and toppings. Another friend pushes the calorie laden snacks while you are watching television. Your spouse brings home a box of your favorite chocolates. Today your mother was hurt because you took only a small slice of cake she had made especially for you-it used to be your favorite!
Everyone seems to be ganging up and saying that you earned and deserve special treats. They know it is against your new routine, but this one time will not matter! Really? It would have been easy to give up but you did not quit. Each time you returned faithfully to your new eating plan. However, instead of losing you gained weight this past week.
Stop! This is not the time for anger and hurt feelings. Nor is it necessary for you to change your goals. But you do need to try and understand what is happening. You are no longer the person they have known and loved for years.
It is not just your size that has changed. You have new interests and activities. The friends are missing the old times and things you used to do together. There is fear that they will lose you and their life will be changed forever.
Allow everyone time to adjust. At the same time, practice using the words “no” or “no thank you” when that is how you feel. And you are not obligated to explain why. You simply prefer doing something else.
Later, you may wake up and realize that while you have been moving forward, the old friends have been stuck in neutral or moving backwards. Most times they just fall by the wayside-they do not want to join in your new activities and you no longer enjoy the old pastimes.
Releasing negative relationships is the highest good for all concerned. They come to the conclusion that you are no fun anymore, and they attract people who are at their level of consciousness. You, in turn, will attract those with desires similar to yours.
Think of your health as wealth. Perfect health is the foundation for a fulfilling wealthy life. You chose to have abundant health-a state of unbounded energy and vitality. Let others make their own choices.
Gloria Hansen is an author and educator on consumer issues. She has a B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition from Iowa State University. Her website, http://www.LivingBetterAndBetter.com features lifestyle changes for optimum health, living life in abundance, feeling and looking great, changing your mind to change your world and other resources for self improvement.
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