I don’t know why you exercise. Obesity runs in your family. You’re never going to be thin.” “I can’t stick to a diet, so I’m not even going to try.” “I can’t believe you signed up for a 5K. You’re not going to win.” Ah yes, negativity. Negativity has a tendency to suck the life right out of you. Negativity may be a prominent trait in someone close to us. It may be a family member, friend, or even significant other. We all know a “Negative Nancy.” How you handle “Nancy,” however, could make the difference between a positive lifestyle change and remaining stuck in a holding pattern.
Your decision to get fit involves more than just exercise. Fitness is a lifestyle change. As part of that lifestyle change, many of us go through our cabinets to discard the “toxic” foods – those foods that will hold us back and prevent us from achieving our personal goals. A similar philosophy may apply with those “Nancies.”
The first thing we need to remember-we are no better or worse than “Nancy”. We were just fortunate enough to make the decision to change our lives for the better. If you are able to break free from the chains of “Nancy” (i.e. a toxic friendship), let this person go. You have no room for negativity in your new life. If “Nancy” truly loves you, he or she will support you…And if you’re lucky, they’ll join you in your healthy lifestyle change.
A few simple rules of thumb apply for maintaining a positive outlook:
- Make sure you compliment someone at least once a day. This compliment may be all a person needed to make them smile. They, in turn, will likely spread that positivity by complimenting someone else.
- Put a positive spin on a negative comment. In other words, always find the silver lining in that gray cloud.
- Openly discuss your positive lifestyle changes with “Nancy.” Let that person know you don’t have time for negativity. “Nancy” may have never been told he or she was a downer, and that may be all they needed to hear to change their ways.
At Total Body Results, we are a fitness family. We are all here to attain a common goal-good health. We are a community of like-minded people, offering positive feedback, support, and encouragement every step of the way. How do you feel after you leave boot camp? You feel like you can take on the world, right? That’s because you can! You are capable of anything. The sky is the limit!
We are a crew full of positivity. We know…We’ve seen the results first-hand. It is because of this, we continue to encourage those around us. The positive energy is what keeps us motivated and on track. Knowing that those around us are pulling for us makes it easier for us to succeed. We are held accountable for our actions, and when one of us misses a class, we are missed by our fellow boot campers. It is this accountability and this bond with our fitness family that keeps us coming back.
The same holds true if you continue to surround yourself with negativity. The negative people in your life will hold you back. They will more than likely encourage you to make bad decisions, both nutritionally speaking, and on a personal level. Negative people tend to have a lower self-esteem, and find comfort in putting others down. Studies have shown that pessimistic people are more likely to fall ill more frequently. We don’t have time for that in our lives, right?
That on which we focus, we empower. Good will multiply good. Negativity will multiply negativity. The choice is yours. Which do you prefer?
Guest Post Written by: Danielle Egger (CPT, TBR Boot Camp Instructor & Zumba Certified Instructor)
