Ashley Johns

I have gotten a lot of messages lately where people have said, "Cardio is the worst."  "I can't stand doing cardio."  "I just can't get into it."  "I get bored on the treadmill."

So as I was doing my morning 4 mile run on the treadmill, listening to my jams (on empty stomach), I was thinking how I could explain how I love it and how you can find that within yourself too.  That's just it too, you have to find it within yourself to CHOOSE to love it.

There are days where I have to SEARCH for motivation.  I'm just like everyone else!  Battling with that initial, complaining voice in my head telling me to skip the gym and eat something pleasing instead.  Right there!  They go hand in hand and as soon as I hear that voice and then one negative begins attracting another, like, not eating clean, I say, no!  I'm taking my pre-workout powder (Jack'd) and getting my butt to the gym!  At that moment, I pull the scale out in my mind and visualize the "old" version of myself vs. the "what I want version of myself," and then that's all it takes for me to push that weak voice to the back of my mind and say, nope, not going to happen.  You can't let that voice control you.  It's EASIER to let it, because you're not making a strong choice, you're giving in and taking the easier way out.  That's when you have to think to yourself about all the gains you get from going to the gym:  a sweat, confidence, empowerment for making the harder choice, perhaps runner's high;) or a pump!, resulting in healthier eating choices for the day, because you just worked your butt off and you know you can negate all that by eating poorly.

So I was warming up for 10 minutes, moderate pace walking, and then I started jogging and runner's high came on and listening to my favorite tunes (my music motivates me!), I thought, I am so glad I came today and today's going to be a great day and I chose this!  I rock!  You begin to see things, to see yourself a lot differently than you would if you chose to do nothing that day.  I'm telling you, the key is to find it within yourself to CHOOSE to fall in love with that which you may hate or despise.  Just as they say, keep your enemies closer...if someone does me wrong or is rude to me (analogy), I do my best to do the harder thing and think of that person as struggling within themselves, and choose not to take it personally.  I may choose not to necessarily trust that person with my life or my thoughts/feelings or be a great friend, but I certainly try to understand where they are coming from and find what I do like about them.  It is harder.  But it's worth it when you feel better about the situation.

It's an attitude;  It's a mind-set. 

When I think about all that I have accomplished so far in these short (but seemingly long for all the work I've done--but love that work!) 2 years....I think about how it's the journey, not the end point you should be in love with.  When you accomplish anything, small or large, it creates a good feeling within yourself.  That's where it starts, within and that's where it ends.

I believe I have created success for myself.  I am doing a Motivational Talk to a company called Interlogic Outsourcing Inc. (a Payroll Company) about Motivation.  2 weeks ago, I spoke to their Sales group, now it's the rest of the employees, who are burnt out at work, being the first part of the year, with goals, etc.  I had to really think about what my presentation was going to be about, what I would talk about, where I would be coming from, where they are coming from, how to relate the two, on and on and in the process of this, I thought about how far I've come in 2 years and what I contribute that to, as I will be telling them this tomorrow.

When telling my story about 2 years ago, where I was and how I felt, these were the things that were a part of my life.

stressful job
debt
no good friends
I began pushing my friends/family away from me
solitude
a lot of crying
panic attacks
a bad attitude
regret, despite, hate
worry, anxiety
gained tons of weight
ate a lot
not active at all
lost sight of who I was
didn't think I fit in on this earth, was too weak
didn't love myself

Now, 2 years later, after all the pushing past that little voice that told me to take the easy way out and just be lazy and doing the work!!  Diet, exercise, diet, exercise, doing it again, everyday, every 2 hours, making choices, the right ones.....this is what I am:

a positive person
a great, strong attitude
goal setter (big goal setter, huge goals!  Why not!)
amazing relationships in my life
an amazing job where I'm helping people
opportunities!
I'm happy
hardly any tears anymore, usually because I'm happy about something or inspired
a great body
an amazing mind set I have created for myself
accomplishments
dreams coming true
a positive ATTITUDE
eat healthy
very active, always pushing myself




The difference is astounding.  I just came across this as I was preparing for my Motivational Talk, sometimes you miss the most obvious things....

So there it is....find Motivation within yourself, or an outside source, but ultimately this is up to you and it's a battle between you and you.....

As I was running, I thought, I'm a runner, and I'm a good runner.  I can be fast if I want, I can bound, I can sprint, I can jog, I can think and run, I can run long, I can run hard.  I'm a runner and I'm good at it.  Then I thought, that's it!  If I didn't think I was good at it, I wouldn't be good at it, my form would not be great, but I believe it is and feel it is and to me, it is.

Then when I set foot on the weight room floor, as I'm strapping my music to my arm and putting my gloves on, I look at myself in the mirror and look at my shoulders, my legs and think I'm a hot lifter.  It's all your mind.  It's what you tell yourself minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, month to month.....it all adds up and gets you to where you are RIGHT NOW. 

Next time you think how you don't like something....remember, if you believe you don't like it and have decided not to like, it, well, you know it's what you must do to reach your goals and be healthy, so you can choose to battle with that thought every day or you can choose to find what you DO LIKE about it........