Hasta La Bahbye Bad Choices

So, it's Halloween here (ok...everywhere) and there is this bowl of candy sitting there. I have a choice -- eat a candy (or 20) or don't eat a candy at all. I made a choice -- I made a healthy dinner, and had none. Here is the thing though -- its all a choice. I am not always the best maker of choices.

I work in my car, I get tired - traffic is heavy and I just want to go home - it is soooo much easier to grab a candy bar or a bag of chips while I grab some gas than to stop two times and delay the drive home even more.

It's a Friday night and my husband is working late, my daughter is at work, and it's just too much of a hassle to cook for just me - I will just grab a burger out, and gee - it comes in a meal so I will go ahead and have that soda and fries too.

I had a really horrible day (or a great one..I am an equal opportunity eater) and I deserve this ice cream as a treat.

Ok -- all of those things are true, however, I do have the choice to change those reactions even if I can't change the circumstances. I do not have to have what I call "stinkin thinkin"
I CAN plan ahead, pack a lunch, have a few single serve meals in the freezer that I made on my day off....and catch this -- I can have the burger and a salad instead of fries and a soda! Crazy huh?

Also...easier said that done when I have this history of doing this very thing. I will try - I will most likely succeed sometimes, fail others..but I will dust myself off and get back up and keep going..because that is how we learn from our mistakes.

Quote - Mistakes are proof that you are trying - when you are choosing that path - are you really trying? (not sure who said this)

Everyone makes mistakes, but the point here is don't compound the mistakes that you make by continually making those choices to fail. Don't make those choices that will make you feel worse and cause you to back slide. It is a matter of taking baby steps and moving forward - truly one only fails when they stop trying. I only fail when I give myself the self talk to allow myself to make these choices, even when I know they are not for my greater good. 

How can I stop that? Practice. Practice making better choices, practice not letting myself have those openings to allow the bad choices to slip in, practice being accountable for myself annnnd practice a positive self talk! 

I KNOW that today was bad, BUT ice cream is not going to make me feel any better -- hitting a punching bag might, or talking to my best friend, or doing something fun with my husband, walking the dog -- etc etc. 

I KNOW that I am going to get stuck in the car and I equally know that mornings are hectic - make lunches on Sunday? Make an alternate plan -- or when caught in that bind - make the extra stop - I am worth more than the extra 10 minutes it would take off my drive home. 

I KNOW that today was a GREAT day -- but I will feel bad if I celebrate with food - why not celebrate doing something fun, or buying a good book, or taking a hot bath while reading a good book. 

The thing is - if I stop and think prior to what it is I am choosing to do -- stop and think about how completely doing the things that will give me the opposite results that I want and then process that and do something else. I CAN say hasta la bahbye to bad choices...give it a try!