Imagine you’re on trial and your daughter is called to bear witness on your daily habits. With her left hand on the Holy Bible (King James Version, of course) and her right hand raised the judge asks her “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”. Your daughter answers, “Yes”.
What will her sworn testimony be? Will your daughter’s testimony be a glowing testament of how you Prioritize Physical Activity daily, or a striking one? Will you be able to hold your chest and chin up high because you know your talk and your walk are in stride? Or would your claims not match the man she knows you to be?
Will she say, “daddy Prioritizes Physical Activity!”, or will she say, “daddy really likes watching T.V.”.
Talk That Talk
“His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.”
James Allen
We hear motivational speakers, or see motivational quotes and memes telling us we need to verbally state out loud, our wants and desires. The idea being these verbal affirmations can somehow speak it into existence.
Well that may be one step in the process, let’s say its step two. However, that is not the end of it. Committing to an action, verbally, can help you get in to the right mind set. You can speak aloud in an authoritative voice “I WILL PRIORITIZE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!”. That may get you going.
I liken it to a gym patron who finds it necessary to yell and scream at the barbell with the heavy weight on it. However obnoxious others may find it, it helps psyche him up for this arduous endeavor. If that is you, and you need to yell “I WILL PRIORITIZE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!”, then I SUPPORT YOU!
Share your affirmation with your spouse or friend. This can work in your favor in three ways; 1) You’re getting that verbal affirmation; 2) Telling someone can provide some added motivation; 3) You can employ that person to keep you accountable.
Three birds, ONE stone. Super-efficient.
Just keep in mind, much like that overzealous gym patron yelling at the heavy weight he’s about to lift, the work comes after the yelling and screaming stops.
Walk That Walk
The late great multimillionaire, business philosopher, speaker and philanthropist, Jim Rohn once said, “Affirmations without the discipline to act upon those things which are affirmed cause men to delude themselves into thinking they’re making progress when, in fact, their daily activity leads them nowhere.”
I say you can verbally affirm until you’re blue in the face, but unless you turn those words into actions, actions into habit, habit into discipline, your daughter’s testimony will look more like “Daddy likes saying he’s going to Prioritize Physical Activity every year, but I think he likes watching other people being physically active (football, basketball, baseball, so on) more.”
What message does that send to your daughter?
If you can’t lead yourself first, how can you expect your daugther to follow? Explore this idea more with Why You Should SHUT UP About Leadership, If You Fail To Lead Yourself!
The dad who dreams of health, yet his daily actions direct him toward unhealthy habits is a victim of the false hope which affirmations can manufacture. He must act on those affirmations!
Talking AND Walking
This was not to bash you over the head, unless that’s what you need at this time – consider yourself BASHED! It’s really about perspective. The perspective of the most precious life you directly influence day in and day out, your daughter. She hears what you say. She sees what you do. She will soon do both.
When I come home from my daily Physical Activity sesh (short for session), my daughter always asks me “Daddy, are you sweaty?”. Which is an improvement from my wife’s “you stink”. But my daughter sees.
My daugther knows from the clothes I’m wearing, whether I’m going to the gym or going on a run. She’s been around or involved in Physical Activity as soon as the B.O.B. Jogging Stroller recommended it was safe (six months old, but recommendation may have changed).
Now she’s at an age that she occasionally accompanies me to our local track. Now, my daughter does.
Need a clearer picture on how you influnce your kids? Check out But Why Daddy? Because Our Kids Are FATTER Than Ever!
Full Circle
Your thought is the first step of action. Some hardliners may disagree, but it all starts with a thought. So that thought, in and of itself, is an act. You can use that thought to push you to the next step; speaking, which can have a huge impact. This verbal affirmation can then propel you into action.
- Think It – I WILL PRIORITIZE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
- Say It – “I WILL PRIORITIZE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!”
- Do It – PRIORITIZE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
“When we think, when we speak, when we act, we create, and we are there in our creations.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
So, make that trial a breeze for your daughter. Be the ACTIVE-DAD that your daughter can be proud of and say to the judge “Your honor, I can affirm that my dad says what he does and does what he says. He Prioritizes Physical Activity.”.
Need help becoming an ACTIVE-DAD? Start with 4 Steps To Being An Active-Dad.
#LetUSBeGreat Challenge