Respect Your Vessel - NO MORE EXCUSES

“I don’t have time to work out.”

I hope that was a joke, because I’m over here laughing my butt off.

No, you know what the problem is? You don’t *make* time. The slightest bit of semantics is CALLING YOU OUT. We prioritize things we deem important, don’t we? Grocery shopping because you prioritize feeding your family. Filling up at the gas station because you prioritize reliable transportation. Stopping at Dunkin or Starbucks every morning before work for that Moo Moo latte frap, hold the whip. Parking your rear on the couch at 8 o’clock sharp every Thursday night for the newest installment of that CW show you love.

We all have the same amount of time in a day. Why can some of us seem to pack more productivity into it than others? We prioritize. Time management and self-awareness are tantamount here. I guarantee you have 15 minutes to spare out of your day (1.5% of your waking hours if you sleep ~8 hours – ONE PERCENT!) to contribute to your body’s wellness. Can you really sit there with a straight face and tell me you are willingly disrespecting your vessel by not making any time for it? This is the only body you’ll ever get, and don’t forget it was given to you despite that you hadn’t done a single thing to earn it. The mere fact that you exist calls you to be a good steward of yourself, and that starts when you put a stop to the whining and complaining about how fat and unhappy and tired you are. You have more control than you think. There is nothing worse than a person who complains about things THEY HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE.

Before you throw out counterarguments like “I can’t afford a gym membership,” “I have kids to take care of and they need all my attention,” and “the closest gym is 20 minutes away,” allow me to blow your mind: All you need to get started is an internet connection (which I know you have), a device, a FREE subscription to a channel like FitnessBlender (https://www.fitnessblender.com/videos), and a positive attitude, and you’re already most of the way there without leaving the comfort of your own living room. So don’t give me that crap. You don’t need fancy equipment or state of the art leggings to get fit. Be a positive example for your kids and invite them to try it with you! Laugh together about how silly jumping jacks look. With FitnessBlender you don’t even have to waste brain energy putting together a set of exercises – just follow Kelli and Daniel’s lead, sweat a little, and that’s it!

Fifteen minutes, guys. I know you have 15 minutes you can reallocate. Believe me, I’ve been there – deep in the couch cushions laughing at fail videos for 30 minutes at a time, stuffing my face with Cheetos. It’s a waste of your life, and the shallow, fleeting pleasure you derive from it is just that: temporary. You know what isn’t temporary? What pays dividends the more you commit to it? What actually makes you less fat, unhappy, and tired in the long run? So, stop scrolling, put your phone down. Pause Netflix – the show will still be there in 15 minutes. Fifteen minutes! One measly percent!

I am tired of the excuses and the outright disrespect. I get tired of it in myself, too, when I go through phases of irrational justification and skip out on the gym. Be honest with yourself and stop making excuses. I know it’s uncomfortable, but “I don’t have time” is at the top of the list. GET RID OF THAT MENTALITY. It is not that you don’t have time, it’s that you don’t MAKE time. It’s that simple. Frankly, exercise is not a choice, it is a biological, psychological, emotional, mental necessity. Now go challenge yourself. Make the time. You’d be surprised at how everything else in life fills in the space around this prioritization. #Respectyourvessel. You weren’t given this body to pursue hedonistic pleasures and that elusive byproduct of experience they call “happiness” – no, you were given this vessel to pursue meaning. Meaning begins when you start taking care of yourself the way you deserve to be taken care of it. You owe that much to this body that carries the precious light in your eyes. Bad habits can’t be kicked overnight and you sure as hell can’t wish yourself into a sexy, fit body. You’ve got to put in the work. You’ve got to put in the work until it transforms into an automatic behavior, and then you’ll be amazed to see how bad it feels to miss a day or two. Being active is not a choice, it is a necessity – so start treating it that way.

No more excuses. GET AFTER IT.