SCALE THE WORLD
June 15, 2008
What Are You Weighting For? - Day 9 of 32
"Scale" -- An evil device that resides in your bathroom.
Get this: the scale is your enemy.
Today, we will sever this foe from our lives once and for all.
You just have to be willing to cut the rope.
Let me explain.
Currently there is a rope that's connecting you with
other climbers. You may not be able to see it, but it is
there. Your other climbers depend on you, and you on
them. These climbers include your family, your friends,
your loved ones -- everyone who cares about you making
it to the top of the
Remember, you are a Scaler. All Scalers have ropes that
interconnect to each other. You and I are connected.
That's right -- I count on you to continue during times
you may momentarily doubt, or when the weather of
life - emotional and mental storms - make climbing a
bit more difficult.
The successful will weather any storm.
However, there is another rope that you have attached
to yourself. This one is also invisible, but unlike the other
it serves no purpose whatsoever except to weigh you
down. If allowed to remain, it will pull you off the
Injuries from the fall include quitting, feeling like a "loser",
and a general dread of all things healthy.
The interesting part is that you attached this rope by
yourself. Perhaps on purpose...perhaps accidental. It
makes little difference. Either way, it is time to pull out
the knife of reason and cut the rope free.
Attached to the end of the rope? The scale -- and the
concept of "weight" in general.
Yep...that evil device called a "scale" needs to go. In
fact, I encourage you to find a high place where there
is no one around (be sure about that!) and drop that
sucker right off. Or, run over it with your vehicle.
Learn this: that scale is much heavier than you are.
The scale weighs you down as it measures your weight.
It tells you lies. It is virtually worthless to your pursuit
of excellence in your physical ascent.
And, it can be downright deadly.
Here's how.
Let's say you're really climbing well. You're eating good,
clean food and you're feeling great about yourself. You
notice that your pants are a bit looser in the waist area
and your shirts feel a bit more snug in the places that
look good.
You step on the scale one morning, and all those good
feelings come crashing down...
"I've GAINED a pound!"
Really? Are you sure?
And if you are, does it matter?
I bet you're wondering why I'm asking such ridiculous
questions. It's because they are not ridiculous at all...
the scale is.
Do you realize that your body weight fluctuates an
average of three to five pounds a 'day'? Depending on
what you've eaten, what time it is, hormonal changes,
and even the weather, your body weight can go up or
down.
Think of the scale as the stock market, minus any
potential dividends.
Also, even if the scale was right, did it matter? Let's
say the reason your shirt fits better in key places is due
to the fact you put on a bit of lean muscle. Your waist
line feels better because you discarded fat. Overall,
you may have discarded two pounds of fat and gained
three pounds of muscle. That would create a one pound
'gain', but surely you would not mind such a gain!
Muscle makes the body look firm and sexy. Discarding
fat makes the body feel lean and energetic. You just
did both -- and felt lousy about it. Why?
Because the scale told you to. It speaks a language all
its own.
Just take this simple tip and run with it all the way up the
mountain: go by your clothes. If your clothes fit better,
you're heading in the right direction no matter what the
scale says. If you feel better, you're doing great.
Once one set of clothes is too loose, then try on a
tighter pair of jeans and keep them around until they
too fit loosely.
Who needs the scale?
If you're getting stronger in the gym and your pants are
fitting better, then bravo my friend.
Sever the rope of "weight" right now in the form of the
scale. For that matter, sever "weight" itself by ceasing
to want to lose it. This sounds contradictory, but it isn't.
You do not want to lose weight. You want to discard fat.
If you just want to "lose weight", cut off your arm along
with that rope. You'll lose about 5-10 pounds in a matter
of minutes.
You can also just take off all your clothes. That's about
3-4 pounds right there. Boy, you're really losing weight
now! Granted, you're naked and missing an arm, but...
What? Does that not sound appealing? It doesn't,
and neither does "lose weight" to your subconscious
mind. You want to release fat -- forget about 'weight'.
Drop the fat. Put on the muscle. Let 'weight' just hang
off the mountain. Who cares how much you weigh as
long as you look and feel superb? In fact, the focus
on weight can literally take you away from the focus
on feeling and looking excellent.
Remember where you will always end up -- the direction
in which you are staring.
Do not stare at weight -- stare at excellence, health,
leanness, and vitality.
Once released from your harness, you'll see that your
scale was literally the weight of the world.
Tomorrow -- So, what are you 'waiting' for?
= = End of Day 9 = =
"Scale" -- Something that can cover the eyes.
What are YOU staring at?
Here we are a week into our journey, and I need to make
sure of something. I need to be sure you are looking up.
When climbing this high, one of the best bits of advice to
a novice Scaler is not to look down. In our journey,
however, the advice is a bit different:
LOOK UP.
Look where you want to go. Focus on where you want
to be. Set your sights on who you want to become.
Remove the scales from your eyes.
Do not look down. Do not look backward in time. Do
not want for things you cannot have, such as "to have
the metabolism of a teenager" if you're 65. Do not long
for a person who no longer exists.
Let's create a new, improved, seasoned climber -- one
who has seen the best and the worst along the way,
but continues to focus on where he or she is going.
The term I use is "The Driving Point". The analogy:
your car. The question: would you drive your car
forward while looking in the rearview mirror?
Why not?
Does the thought seem ridiculous? Dangerous?
Counter-productive? Of course it does. Then why do
so many people live their lives as if they were looking
into the rearview mirror of history, always wondering
why they cannot achieve their goals and dreams of
the present and future?
Remember this, and etch it in stone: you will end
up where you eyes and mind are focused. Nowhere
else -- truly.
Chances are great that, if in your past you were one
who thought or said things like...
"I failed last time...why should this time be any
different?"
"I have a history of ____________."
"I'll be fat the rest of my life."
"I failed my high school trig class, so why should I
bother studying _____________?"
"Every investment I've ever made, I've lost money.
Why bother?"
Does this sound familiar?
This is called "looking down". Looking down is not any
different than looking back. The only time looking back
is to be used in your ascent is to make sure you're placing
your foot where it needs to go. In life, this means making
sure you take the right steps by learning from the wrong
ones. Remember: wisdom is acquired by falling
down, and learning how to avoid falling the next time.
Yet fall you must -- and that's okay. Just learn where the
footholds are. What they feel like under your toes. Learn
to trust a good hold when you find one, and then go for it.
If you slip, learn -- then try again.
Just look up.
When scaling, you simply must focus on the next
destination.
And, that is your second lesson to etch into stone: the
"next" destination. Not the final destination.
The final is in the mind's eye; the next is where your
physical eyes are focused.
Too many people endeavor to discard body fat, start
a new relationship, learn a new hobby or begin a new
career by focusing on the summit of the peak -- the end
result rather than the next "driving point" -- the next
foothold. The next place your hand will have to grab in
order to pull yourself that much closer to your goal.
How many steps would it take you to walk to
assuming you're not currently there and there was a
bridge connecting where you lived to
One.
Then another.
Then another.
The answer is still "one".
That is your driving point -- a series of "ones". You
can put some of these points together and form a
rest stop, which is like base camp on a climb. Not the
summit, but to be enjoyed and celebrated just the same.
Here's anexample using your car and The Driving
Point. Let's say you want to go from your house to the
nearest grocery store. We already know that driving
there by looking in the rearview mirror will get you
or someone killed, or at least damage your car, so
that's out of the question, right?
Right...and that means you do not dwell on the past.
It can never take you into the future.
Instead, you glance in the rear view long enough to
know it's safe to proceed to your destination. That's
all the past is for -- a tool to check your present course
before you set off to achieve the future.
Next, you would drive from your home to the first stop
sign or red light.
That is your first "driving point" -- the red light. At that
point, you would turn left, turn right, or proceed forward.
However, you must get to that point first.
Now, let's make it interesting and a bit more like our
journey of scaling the world. Let's say you're driving
somewhere and you do not know how to get there.
Instead, you are following directions that are written down.
Let me ask you: do you just "drive and hope", or do
you take it one "driving point" at a time? One light,
one turn, one highway stretch at a time -- and you
eventually arrive, even if you have to stop to ask
directions along the way.
The same is true for any goal you desire to achieve
and for the life you must create. You must stare only
in the direction of your dreams, not in the direction
of your past, your "failures", your fears or your doubts.
You must proceed with your eyes on the next
destination. However, your mind's eye on the final
destination -- the life you desire. The body you crave.
The energy you require. The relationships you need.
So, what are you staring at?
Today, I would like you to draw a road map. Think of
of these as directions to lead you from where you are to
where you want to be. Plot your driving points (base
camps) along the way. Make it achievable -- don't try to
drive 700 miles in a day when 200 will do just fine.
Then, focus on those 200...then the next, and the next.
Feel free to create your road map for more than one
area of your life. Just realize that you will only reach
the destination that you are looking at, and no matter
how small or large the destination may be, it requires
your ultimate attention.
An example might be:
Point A to Point B: discard 2 pounds of fat by lowering
carbohydrates at night and reducing sugar during the
day.
Drive (or climb!) until you reach Point B....your first
Driving Point. Base Camp number 1.
Point B to Point C: discard 5 pounds of body fat and
gain a pound of lean muscle in 4 weeks by working
out in the gym three times per week for 30 minutes,
and adding 20 minutes of walking every day before
breakfast.
Point C is your next Driving Point. There, and only
there, do you focus your eyes -- on that Driving Point.
Your mind's eye, called "visualization", can focus on the
end result: a lean, toned body that is full of health
and vitality.
However, that is not your Driving Point for today, or
perhaps even for this month. That is your summit. Your
peak. Remember, however, to enjoy the climb along
the way.
The Scaler's Creed: you arrive wherever you stare.
Tomorrow -- what are you 'weighting' for?
= = End of Day 8 = =
0 comments:
Post a Comment