EXCUSE the EXCUSES!

"ex-cuse"  /v. ɪkˈskyuz; n. ɪkˈskyus/ Show Spelled
Pronunciation [v. ik-skyooz; n. ik-skyoos] Show IPA verb, -cused, -cus-ing, noun
–verb (used with object) 1. to regard or judge with forgiveness or
indulgence; pardon or forgive; overlook (a fault, error, etc.): Excuse his bad
manners.
2. to offer an apology for; seek to remove the blame of: He excused
his absence by saying that he was ill.
3. to serve as an apology or
justification for; justify: Ignorance of the law excuses no one.
4. to
release from an obligation or duty: to be excused from jury duty.
5. to seek
or obtain exemption or release for (oneself): to excuse oneself from a meeting.
6. to refrain from exacting; remit; dispense with: to excuse a debt.
7.
to allow (someone) to leave: If you'll excuse me, I have to make a telephone
call.

"An excuse becomes an obstacle in your journey to success when it is made in place of your best effort or when it is used as the object of the blame." Bo Bennett

"An excuse is worse and more terrible than a lie, for an excuse is a lie guarded." Pope John Paul II

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself." Henry Ward Beecher

And my PERSONAL favorite ...

"How strange to use "You only live once" as an excuse to throw it away." Bill Copeland

Why is it that we make excuses to ourselves when we fail to do the things we know we must?

People come up to me all the time and comment on my success in this whole weight loss journey. Inevitably, they ask me how I am doing it, or what "diet" I am on. When I respond with "I work out 6 days a week, hard, and I eat clean 24 hours a day/7 days a week", they blink a few times, usually take a step back and mutter something like "Ohhhhh, I could never dedicate that much time ... I don't have the will power ... my family wouldn't go along with it ..." Excuses.

A long time ago, I heard the quote that I have tried to live my life by:

"AN EXCUSE IS A JUSTIFICATION FOR A LOWER STANDARD."

I have no idea who wrote it, but, boy, did it pack a powerful punch when I heard it. I had a whole closet full of excuses for everything in my life, ready to be pulled from at a moment's notice. Late for work, deadline missed, over tired, grumpy, over weight, why I smoked ... you think of something and I can probably remember some excuse I used to justify my failure to do what needed to be done. But hearing that an excuse was not a good thing, but rather an attempt to make a lower standard "OK" ... that resonated deeply.

Shortly thereafter, I stopped making excuses. Certainly, sometimes there are reasons things happen, things that are out of your control, but there are no excuses for being less than you are capable of being. God gave each of us an infinite number of talents. Too often, when we think of talents, intangibles such as musical or artistic ability, financial acumen, spiritual insight ... come to mind. These are certainly talents ... but there are more. Tenacity, dedication, persistence, optimism, encouragement, nurturing ... the things that make us uniquely good. God gave us those gifts and we barely skim the surface of them. We sell our abilities short, repeatedly.

Another little nugget I heard years ago is "There is no such word as can't; there is only won't." It's a choice. The next time you hear yourself offering up an excuse, try substituting the word won't wherever you might use can't.

"I just won't find the time."

"I won't cook healthy meals like that, there's not time/the kids/husband won't eat it ..."

"I won't put the money aside to get a gym membership."

That last one? I hear that a lot. First, you do NOT need a gym membership to get up off the couch and move. Walking and running are free, calisthenics can be done in the kitchen. Squats, lunges, push-ups (Maureen is gonna love this one) can be done all around your house. You don't even need weights. Trust me, your body weight can be plenty of resistance. Mine was such a great resistance it kept me glued to the couch for way too long!

Secondly, if you really wanted to join a gym, there are ways to make it affordable. Insurance, scholarship programs at the local "YMCA", getting rid of the cable channels on the TV that you won't have time to watch anymore anyway ... there are ways.

We have to stop making excuses for ourselves. Believe me, I am not just preaching to readers ... I am preaching to myself. It is VERY easy for me to say something along the lines of "I am sooo tired today, I just don't have the energy to give it my all." OR ... "I have been soooooo stressed out ... I REALLY deserve that piece of chocolate/cookie/cake." My favorite "I just don't have any ME TIME. I am so busy doing for everyone else, I just want to sit and veg!!" Guess what, Christina?? Going to the gym and sweating your hind off IS your ME TIME. Cooking that delicious and healthy meal IS your ME TIME. Sure, the hubby and darling son get to enjoy it as well, but it is something that I am doing for ME. So what if it takes a little time. In the end, its worth it.

So, I am going to work really hard at eliminating all those little excuses that my mind likes to throw at me. I refuse to justify any lower standard in my life. And I am going to try really hard to be everything that God planned for me to be. Wanna join me?