Plant The Seeds Of Motivation

Quick, look outside! Do you see daffodils in bloom? Are the crocuses in your yard popping up? How did the bulbs that are now blooming into glorious flowers get in the ground in the first place? Did you buy them? Dig a hole for them? Did you sprinkle them with nutrients before covering them?

It may not have seemed like much work last fall, just a few small steps and a bit of effort. You are soon going to enjoy the rewards of your labor as your yard is filled with color. The chore will pay off, and the work will be worth it.

Quick, look in your refrigerator! Do you see fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, whole grains and water? Do you see healthy foods that you selected at the grocery store? Do you see foods that will further your progress on your journey toward self improvement? Are there foods in your pantry that will fill you with the nutrients necessary to allow you to blossom and show your full glory? Are you performing the actions and putting forth the effort necessary to allow your body to show its glory?

Gardening doesn't take a lot of work. What it does take is to first develop a plan of what you want to accomplish and what you want your garden to look like. Then, it takes getting the supplies and tools that you need and actually performing the actions necessary to get the job done.

Dieting is much the same. You need a vision or plan of where you want to go and how you want your body to look. Then, you need to complete all of the steps and put forth the effort on a daily basis to make it happen. Even gardening requires more than one day of simply planting bulbs and flowers. You have to water, weed and trim. With weight loss, you need to water, feed and trim! You essentially do the same things only in a different way.

Have you ever driven by a yard that was once lovely and filled with fabulous flowers -- only to see this very same yard overrun with weeds and in a state of disarray? Maybe the owners got tired of taking care of their garden and no longer cared, or maybe someone new bought the house and was unaware of what was required for the upkeep of the yard. In either case, without continued proper care, it will not look as good as it could and will eventually wither and die.

Boy, dieting really is like gardening in that aspect. If you don't do the work to build a healthy body and then continue performing the same healthy actions, you too may literally die on the vine! The solution to weight loss for those of us with weight issues has, all too often, simply been to "go on a diet." Some of us realized "success" with this "dieting" approach -- we lost the weight and then reverted back to "normal." For many, that "normal" lifestyle is what got us obese in the first place, and you can guess what happened next. That's right. The weight came right back on.

I can not say this enough, "If you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting the same results you have always gotten!" It is time to make a smart plan, adhere to it and complete the actions necessary to ensure its success. I promise, you will enjoy the fruits of this labor!

I would like for you to think about the above quote as you go about your week. What have you always done, and what results has it gotten you? Quick, look in your refrigerator and cabinets! Are they filled with things that are going to hinder your progress, overfeed your body and cause you to die on the vine before ever blooming?! If so, it is time to do some spring cleaning! Out with the old and in with the new!

If you need some tips on what should be in your fridge or stored in your cabinets, email me. I will gladly send you my tips!

What do you have to lose?

Email Julia at julia@juliahavey.com or visit her website at www.JuliaHavey.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: You've seen Julia on the QVC home shopping network and The Sally Jesse Raphael show. You may have read about her in Women's World, Successful Slimming and the National Enquirer. She has been called "America's weight-loss Cinderella, someone with the passion of Tony Robbins, enthusiasm of Richard Simmons and the humor of Jerry Seinfeld."