Health Obstacles

The English rock band Foals released a song in 2015 titled “Mountain at My Gates.” The title probably says it all, but it’s a song about the obstacles in life we face each day. We will always have obstacles in our life, that is unavoidable. We may not necessarily like them either, but how we handle them can make a big difference in our life especially as it relates to our overall health.

The easiest example of one of life’s obstacles is when we decide we want to lose weight. Up until we make that decision, we know we are not at our ideal weight. We know we shouldn’t eat certain things. We know we could look and feel better. But there is a mountain at our gates. That mountain is not only the effort it will take to succeed, but the self-motivation and stamina, too. Because, while it may not be difficult to get started with a weight loss plan, there will come a time in our journey where we get frustrated. Frustrated because the weight is not coming off. Frustrated because we had a weak moment and ate far more than we should have. Frustrated because it’s much harder than we thought it would be. But that is the essence of an obstacle, isn’t it?

The first step to overcoming any obstacle is to acknowledge that sooner or later you will face one. It’s part of life. The second step is to be kind to yourself if you slip up and let that obstacle get the best of you. The best thing you can do is move forward and not dwell on the mistake. And the third step is to surround yourself with people you trust to hold you accountable to yourself. These are your go-to people the moment you sense Remember, an obstacle is something that hinders your progress whether it’s internal or external. These are the times you need to test yourself and your commitment to YOU, even if you falter. Recommit. Think how good it will feel to know that you persevered through the obstacles that came your way and realized your goal despite them.