The secret to success

Smile, baby!

.

Jessie Ahroni is the author of a book on the Lap Band, "Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding: Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery," and she's also an active participant in one of the many Yahoo! bandster groups I'm a member of. She's an NP, and she works with lap band patients. She was banded 10 years ago, and she's had great success. She's also worked with thousands of patients, so she has seen many people succeed and many others fail. She recently posted the following:

.

"People who approach this [journey] with a smile on their face determined to succeed usually do so and they have a pleasant journey. If you're kicking and screaming all the way you won't enjoy the journey and you're less likely to get to goal."

.

I think this is true of any positive transition we try to make in our lives, which is why we must truly be ready to make positive changes in order for them to last. If we are just trying because we know we should, but we don't really want to, we will not succeed.

.

There are many different recipes for success, but great success must start with the right attitude. For me, my weight loss success has been the result of a great amount of planning and focus, and rearrangement of priorities, but the key factor has been my attitude. I was so very ready to start living healthy, and that energy propelled the other areas into place.

.

So how do we get there? Many of us have to hit rock bottom first. It's not enough that we aren't healthy, and that it's hard to find clothes that fit...we have to have something (or a series of somethings) so horrible that we are forced to say enough is clearly enough. To make a drastic life change, the habit must no longer be worth the consequences...for some that's food or eating disorders, others it's smoking or substance abuse...

So what about the person who needs to get healthy, but who hasn't hit rock bottom. Is there any hope for them? Of course. People who haven't hit rock bottom are lucky! It will be easier for them to get back on track, because they never strayed as far off as those of us who have hit the bottom. The challenge will be to have the right attitude, and to identify whatever thought process will hardwire you for success.

.

Every life can and should be lived to the fullest, and it all starts with your attitude.

.

So....smile.... :)