It is the first few weeks in 2018 and I know many people are goal setting, particularly in the area of health. As you set your goals, I would like to take this opportunity to talk to you about focus. Take a moment a consider these simple yet powerful statements.
- What you focus on often seems real.
- What you focus on you often find.
- What you focus on you become.
As you take the time to set your health goals, where is your focus? Are you focusing on what you don’t want or like? Or are you choosing to focus on your vision. If you believe the above statements, your vision for your health must become your focus. For many of us the concept of vision and health may not go together, but this year I am going to ask you to consider casting a health vision that has you focus only on what you want.
In memory of Winston Roberts
I wanted to take a moment and share a story in memory of my body building coach, who recently passed, Mr. Winston Roberts. Winston had a profound impact on my life. His teaching introduced me to a new level of personal mastery, and it laid the foundation for my conversation of self-love, self-respect and self-care.
Preparation for any contest consisted of long workouts, a strict diet, and frequent posing practices. My first posing practice took place in a dance studio with a wall of windows. As I stood in the middle of the studio, I noticed that people from the gym were beginning to gather, peering through the window. I was wearing little shorts and a tiny tank top. To say I was self-conscious would be an understatement. As I looked in mirror my mind began racing. The voice in my head began to point out all the things I didn’t like about my physique. My waist wasn’t not small enough! My breasts were too big! The voice in my head seemed to find every flaw.
What I was focusing on… I found.
As I stood deep in self-criticism, I remember Winston beginning to speak. He was also looking in the mirror but he focused on something different. He admired my broad shoulders. He complemented the shape and length of my legs. He saw all this potential, and was excited about the possibility of developing my shoulders and back. This small change he said, would make my waist look smaller. He saw beauty and possibility as he looked at my physique. He saw thing I had never seen before.
That evening Winston’s words provoked many questions. How could one person look in the mirror and see all this negativity? How could another person look in the same mirror at the same person and see beauty and potential? My search for answers began shifting my self-talk from constant criticism to a conversation of acceptance, self-love, and self-respect.
What you focus on you find.
As you write your goals, rather than focusing on what you don’t like, begin to look for your own unique beauty. Create a vision for yourself and your health that inspires you. Each time I have invited someone to do this simple exercise, they always discover features they didn’t know they had. Simple yet inspiring discoveries like definition in their biceps, or warm expressive eyes. One client found she had beautiful and shapely calves. Others found they had broad shoulders and a strong, confident stance.
Health is not about changing you, it is about developing, accentuating and loving what’s already there. Health is creating habits and the mastery to become more of what is already beautiful about you.
As you set your goals, I invite you to cast a vision for yourself. What would you like to see in six months? Look at yourself and begin to see what’s possible. Look for your potential. Look for the beauty and I guarantee you will find it. I am forever grateful for the day I stood in the mirror with Mr. Winston Roberts. He taught me what you focus on you will always find. More importantly, what you focus on you will most often become.
What you commit to finding on your health journey will determine who you become. If you are ready to learn the steps I took to develop my self-love, self-care and self-respect and truly focus on what’s possible… and achieve it, join me at the Fit Fab and Fulfilled Freedom Retreat. This is one week at a tropical location where we develop new rituals and routines designed to embrace your uniqueness and build a plan to achieve your goals. Enjoy the journey.
Suzan Hart is an inspirational speaker, master trainer and author. Knowing that Health plus wealth creates freedom, Suzan’s mindset mastery teaches hardworking, result driven, busy professionals and entrepreneurs, who secretly feel isolated, overworked and underpaid, to honour their commitment to get fit, feel fabulous, and ultimately live a rich and fulfilled life. Suzan’s desire is for you to be unapologetically recognized for your value, financially rewarded for your brilliance, and celebrated for the fullest expression of yourself. Suzan Hart went from physically exhausted and financially upside down to become a Black Woman Millionaire. She is the creator of the Fit, Fab and Fulfilled program. To book Suzan to speak visit www.suzanhart.com.