Blog

Lasting Change

Written By:  Terry Lige - Founder, owner and head facilitator of 'Inside Out Leadership Development Group' and on the Global Fitness Wellness Advisory Board.

*Focused towards the 'Get It Back - Give It Back' 2012 participants but beneficial insight for all who are interested in lasting change!

Lasting Change

Once again as we face the prospects of a New Year many of us take a moment to take stock of our lives and face the reality of change. Change is inevitable and how we deal with it determines our quality of life. So; here are a couple of questions that are important to consider.

• What is the change you want that will create the healthiest, happiest life possible?
• What do you need to do to make this lasting change and not just a quick fix?

For many of you, the change you want is to lose some weight. Being overweight is one of those issues that often create significant mental, emotional and physical discomfort. We have learned over the past number of years that quick fix diet programs do not work and often result in gained weight rather than lost weight. So; as you consider the prospect of losing weight it is hugely important to think about it as a long term lifestyle decision rather than a short term solution to get your life back on track. Short term solutions are a formula for disappointment, frustration and regret.

Here are some things to consider if you are going to create healthy lasting change.

Change is a process, not an event or a short term program. It requires a commitment to a lifelong pursuit of health and wholeness. This pursuit will have its challenges, successes and failures; however you must not waver in your commitment to pursue your goal. In this way you set your intention for meaningful lasting change. As I commit to this path of health and wholeness I will face every challenge, set aside every obstacle and remain faithful to this dream.

You must get brutally honest with you. Look clearly at your behavior that is self destructive and even self abusive. Then you must take full responsibility for that behavior. If you want to be healthy then you have to stop blaming people and circumstances for your lack of health and happiness.

You need to create the necessary self awareness to understand what drives your thoughts, emotions and ultimately your behavior. If you have a weight problem, you do not have a food problem, you have a belief problem. How you see you and what you think about you is what drives how you treat you in either a healthy manner or an unhealthy manner. If you truly believe that you deserve a healthy life then you will do whatever it takes to create a healthy life.

Your weight problems are also an indication that you have an emotional problem. You use food to medicate internal discomfort and pain. If you are going to make healthier choices and create healthier lives then you need to learn how to deal with your personal pain in a healthier way. Medicating pain and discomfort is why we have so much addiction in our society.

Once you commit to long term change, get honest with you, take responsibility for your behavior and develop an understanding of the underlying causes of your poor choices and unhealthy behaviors, then you need to create an action plan for change. An action plan is all about changing unhealthy behavior. Change does not happen without changed behavior. When you begin to do it differently, then your thoughts, beliefs and emotions will begin to line up with your changed behavior and you can celebrate your health.

The last thing that I want you to consider is that there are extraordinary behaviors that support you in creating miraculous change in your life. I call them our bridges to change. When you choose these behaviors they support you in your healthy choices in a way that is often profound. Allow me to give you one example of these amazing bridges. Forgiveness is a bridge. It is a bridge that many of us need to utilize first for ourselves. Many of us carry the deep pain of the mistakes that we have made in our lives. Some of these mistakes are real and some are just our perception of what we have done wrong in our lives. As long as we carry guilt and shame deeply within, then we will find ways to sabotage our personal happiness and success and in many cases punish ourselves for what we have done. Carrying extra weight is a way to create a wall between ourselves and our pain and between ourselves and others. I’m sure many of you can relate.

As we begin our journey in Give it Back Get it Back, these are some of the key issues that need to be investigated and addressed if there is going to be healthy, lasting change.

I look forward to working with you soon.

Terry

BIO | Terry Lige

As founder, owner and head facilitator of Inside Out Leadership Development Group, Terry Lige provides personal and professional development programs for people of all cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.  He has over 30 years of experience teaching, counselling, facilitating, and assisting people in their personal and professional lives, to discover and express their full potential.  Through the experiential workshops, we encourage participants to create “real change from the inside out” in their lives.

The vision Terry has is to help build healthy communities of people who want to LIVE  LIFE in an experience of acceptance, authenticity and wholeness.  With the help of many who share this vision, like family, friends, staff & volunteers, Inside Out Leadership Development Group contributes to the evolution of a bigger dream for our global community.   www.InsideOutCanada.ca