In episode 496 of the podcast I answer a question that was sent to me on Instagram. Someone asked, “How did you get to the point of not telling stories, not binging and becoming consistent?”
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play. Otherwise, keep reading below!
Here’s the thing: I still tell stories. I still make excuses. But, there’s a difference in my response to them now.
I refuse to accept incomplete truths and well-intended lies.
It hasn’t always been that way. In fact, for most of my life, my days were merely a sequence of lies and incomplete truths strung together.
This one thing won’t hurt.
I’ll binge today so it’s out of my system and I’ll be super strict tomorrow.
Well, I’ve already screwed up today so I might as well go all in.
I’ve been so good, I deserve this.
All of those statements, and so many more, are incredibly incomplete truths.
They serve only one purpose: justify what I want in a moment.
Here’s the beautiful thing for all of us: if we can talk ourselves into what we want in any moment, we can also talk ourselves out of it. We just aren’t choosing that side of the equation.
I wouldn’t say “I’ll binge today and get it out of my system” for any reason other than to justify the choice to overeat.
It’s absolutely not true that eating well and taking great care of myself is a valid reason not eat well or not take great care of myself. It is a well-intended lie. It’s not malicious, it’s simply permissive.
Those stories, excuses and lies were deeply engrained. While I haven’t eliminated those thoughts, I’ve completely changed my response to them.
I demand the full truth from myself.
I routinely ask queustions like:
What else is true?
Is this the complete truth?
Am I trying to justify something?
Will I be proud of this later?
If this was someone else’s logic, would I agree with it?
If you find yourself in a pattern of incomplete truths, excuses, exceptions or well-intended lies, carve out some time to listen to episode 496 today.