The ultimate motivator
A few weeks ago, we were having a lazy morning in the Gorman household, lounging around in our pajamas for way too long and enjoying every minute of it. Bernadette was back asleep for her morning nap, I had crawled back into bed, and Deirdre and her dad were reading Snow White together at the foot of our bed. It was as laid-back as you can get - Deirdre still rubbing her sleepy little eyes, all of us chitchatting about what we might have for breakfast - eventually - once we motivated downstairs.
And then, as we were gathering ourselves together to make a move, I asked Deirdre if she thought I should hop on the treadmill before breakfast. In light of our super duper lazy morning, I expected her to say, "Oh no, Mommy. No treadmill today." But instead, she perked up and said, "Oh yes!" She went to the closet, pulled out my running shoes, brought them over, and started jabbering on about getting my running pants out of my drawer, about picking out a t-shirt for me to wear, yada, yada, yada.
Well - I guess she earned her wings as a personal trainer that day, huh?
I was flabbergasted that she answered in the affirmative. I was just sure she'd sense my lackadaisical nature, and hear the reluctance in my voice. But alas, like the whip cracker that she is, she overlooked it all and seized the opportunity to do something productive. Or rather, have me do something productive.
Of course, this reminds me of the encouragement we often get from loving friends and family members who are trying to help us make good, healthy decisions. Do we always want to hear what they have to say? Not usually. And do we follow their advice? Not always.
It seems that their offers to "do x" so that we don't have to, or their insistence that we "pass up on y" for the good of our health, often fall on deaf ears. I think it's a lot harder for us to make those good, healthy choices on our own. I can promise you that I had no intention of hopping on the treadmill that morning, until Deirdre encouraged me to seize the day.
I didn't want to hear what she had to say, but you know what? It was exactly what I needed to hear. I only d0 the treadmill a couple times a week...so it's not like I'm taxing myself too much. A
little encouragement was just the ticket to fit in that last run of the week.
And there's no way I could have let her down - she was just so excited about the whole prospect. She even followed me into the playroom, coaching and encouraging me the whole way. In the end, it was the best workout of the week.
Let's face it: could anyone really say "no" to this face?
So the next time a loved one is trying to help - whether they're asking us to slow down, eat well, drink less, or exercise more - how about giving it a little more thought than usual? Think before you react, and consider the wisdom behind their suggestion. Can we bring ourselves to listen to what they have to say, even when it's not what we want to hear?
And then, as we were gathering ourselves together to make a move, I asked Deirdre if she thought I should hop on the treadmill before breakfast. In light of our super duper lazy morning, I expected her to say, "Oh no, Mommy. No treadmill today." But instead, she perked up and said, "Oh yes!" She went to the closet, pulled out my running shoes, brought them over, and started jabbering on about getting my running pants out of my drawer, about picking out a t-shirt for me to wear, yada, yada, yada.
Well - I guess she earned her wings as a personal trainer that day, huh?
I was flabbergasted that she answered in the affirmative. I was just sure she'd sense my lackadaisical nature, and hear the reluctance in my voice. But alas, like the whip cracker that she is, she overlooked it all and seized the opportunity to do something productive. Or rather, have me do something productive.
Of course, this reminds me of the encouragement we often get from loving friends and family members who are trying to help us make good, healthy decisions. Do we always want to hear what they have to say? Not usually. And do we follow their advice? Not always.
It seems that their offers to "do x" so that we don't have to, or their insistence that we "pass up on y" for the good of our health, often fall on deaf ears. I think it's a lot harder for us to make those good, healthy choices on our own. I can promise you that I had no intention of hopping on the treadmill that morning, until Deirdre encouraged me to seize the day.
I didn't want to hear what she had to say, but you know what? It was exactly what I needed to hear. I only d0 the treadmill a couple times a week...so it's not like I'm taxing myself too much. A
little encouragement was just the ticket to fit in that last run of the week.And there's no way I could have let her down - she was just so excited about the whole prospect. She even followed me into the playroom, coaching and encouraging me the whole way. In the end, it was the best workout of the week.
Let's face it: could anyone really say "no" to this face?
So the next time a loved one is trying to help - whether they're asking us to slow down, eat well, drink less, or exercise more - how about giving it a little more thought than usual? Think before you react, and consider the wisdom behind their suggestion. Can we bring ourselves to listen to what they have to say, even when it's not what we want to hear?
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-Aunt Keke