SELF-MOTIVATION

I have never for one second been the kind of person who enjoys physical training of any kind. I don't like running, aerobics, biking, lifting, anything. But exercise is like flossing your teeth...you really need to do it even though it's a pain in the butt. So...the problem lies in trying to summon the self discipline necessary for doing something that I don't want to do. This page is a listing of the things that I have found helpful for self-motivation. Some of them may not work for others, but - hey - you never know 'til you try, right?










MY FAVORITE "LITTLE" PRAYER:
I love this prayer,and I say it a lot. Acceptance is a good thing to start with when you're dieting or working out. You have to accept that you can only do your very best. You have to accept that you are human. Most importantly, you have to accept that doing your absolute best is probably going to hurt a little. If you can accept all that...then you're on your way to accomplishing something big. This prayer helps me with that.

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change...
The Courage to change the things that I can...
And the Wisdom to know the difference.







MANTRAS:
These are "work out" mantras. Say them over and over in your mind whenever you're in pain on a run or during exercise. If you get a lactic acid cramp or if your lungs feel like they're about to burn a hole through your chest, just close your eyes and repeat these to yourself over and over. I was skeptical at first, but this really, truly works for me. After thinking them over and over in my head 20 or 25 times in a row, my breathing regulates and I lose myself in the rhythm of my footsteps. Give it a try. I hope they work for someone.

I'll be ok.
I'll be done soon.


I'm not afraid.
I'm not too tired.
I'm not in pain.


(this one is my favorite)

It doesn't hurt.
It's not so bad.
I'm almost done.







MOTIVATING QUOTES THAT I STOLE FROM OTHERS:


"Do one more."


"Quitting is not an option."


"It's not how good you are, it's how bad you want it...so how bad do you want it?"










This stuff helps me...I hope it helped you, even if only a little. If I come across anything new that helps me get up off the couch and out on the road, I'll post it here.






GRAPHICS ON THIS PAGE


If you like the images on this page and would like to use them yourself, please visit the link for the image’s source on the "Where Did I Get My Graphics" Page. If you should choose to use one of the images you see on this site, or any other website, do NOT directly link to the images. Download the images to your own hard drive and then upload them to your web server. Thank you and enjoy!


Both photos on this site were taken from the image galleries at the MCRD San Diego website. The link for that site is available on the Motivation - Links page.


The grey Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblems on this page were taken from Just Another Jarhead's site.


Any image that appears on this page that is not listed with its source above was acquired in one of the following three ways: The image may have been given to me by the artist for exclusive use on this site. The image may have been pulled from a reputable public domain graphics engine such as ArribaVista.com. The image also could have been taken directly from the image directories at my host, Angelfire. There are several images throughout this site that were acquired by one of these three methods. Because I believe strongly in making sure that all of the artwork appearing on this site is appropriately used and credited, please feel free to send any inquiries, comments, concerns, or requests regarding the images on this site directly to me via email.

Semper fidelis et semper gratus,
Amy L.
Creator – The US Military Spouses' Club
https://www.angelfire.com/co/militarywives/