Cultivating a Positive Attitude

December 18, 2008

Cultivating a Positive Attitude

No one has to be coached to think more negative thoughts. They just come naturally. But positive thoughts require focus, effort, and discipline. The task itself is simple enough. Just take out a piece of paper and write down every single thing you like about your job. Or keep a daily list of five things that were positive at work today. Making that list can be attitude magic.

I read this in a Psychology Today article on job satisfaction, but it can certainly also apply to body acceptance.

What are 5 positives about my body today?

I’m generally healthy; my body works well & does what I need it to do.
My morning stretches felt great.
I’m tall enough to that reaching the high shelves isn’t a problem.
Muscle memory is helping me to pick up a musical instrument I haven’t played in years.
Making love this afternoon. ;)

What’s your list?

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fat acceptance, health

Posted by:

Living 400lbs

I blog about what it’s like to be live life at about 400lbs. :)

11 responses to “Cultivating a Positive Attitude”

Staci

December 18, 2008 at 2:38 pm

1. Not weighing ~400 pounds
2. Being slim
3. Being healthy
4. Having excellent cardiovascular fitness
5. Being able to buy normal-size clothes

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rebecca

December 18, 2008 at 4:36 pm

As a person who’s not healthy and whose body doesn’t work especially well, I am really happy to see that as #1 on your list. It makes me fabulously happy when people don’t take that for granted. Honestly, you boosted my spirits with that.

And in that spirit, my list (which I’m not going to separate into bullet points for personal reasons) is made up of the things my body DOES do well, which I madly appreciate.

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living400lbs

December 18, 2008 at 10:41 pm

As a person who’s not healthy and whose body doesn’t work especially well, I am really happy to see that as #1 on your list. It makes me fabulously happy when people don’t take that for granted. Honestly, you boosted my spirits with that.

I’m glad. I expected some flack on that of the “But you have to sleep with a CPAP and have vitamin deficiencies and use an inhaler”. Yes, and they help me stay healthy.

Heck, there are Olympic competitors that use inhalers. Some wear glasses or contacts, too. Needing glasses isn’t usually seen as a prosthetic, but since I got to the point where I can’t legally drive without glasses I’ve been more aware of it.

I think the real issue people have with CPAPs is that sleep apnea is seen as a “fat person’s disease” and asthma, nearsightedness & astigmatism aren’t. Never mind that sleep apnea, asthma, nearsightedness, astigmatism, and body size all run in families…

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Staci

December 20, 2008 at 11:33 am

Ooh – just thought of a few more:

6. Not needing a machine to help to breathe at night
7. Not being at risk for diabetes
8. Being able to do yoga without modifying the poses

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Staci

December 21, 2008 at 12:17 am

Better make the positives add up to ten:

9. Being able to go rock-climbing
10. Being able to deadlift more than my own bodyweight. :)

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bruisedPetals

December 21, 2008 at 3:48 am

Y’know, Staci, today I’d trade all of your ten just to have #5 on the author’s list. I notice it didn’t make yours.

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Staci

December 21, 2008 at 6:16 am

Y’know bruisedPetals, I don’t feel the need to put out a press release every time I have sex. I guess people just assume that I have regular rex. Maybe that should be my #11?

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living400lbs

December 21, 2008 at 2:22 pm

Staci, I was specifically talking about things that had occurred the day I was writing the post. And yes, I do know that people often assume fat people don’t have regular sex. One of the reasons I write about is to point out that stereotypes are not always truthful.

Assuming that I write about sex EVERY time I have it would be like me assuming you haven’t mentioned asthma because you DO have it. Or that having no risk factors for diabetes means you can’t get it. :)

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Staci

December 21, 2008 at 3:04 pm

Living 400lbs – thanks for posting that informative article about diabetes. However, you’ll note that I said I was “not at risk” for diabetes, NOT “I won’t get diabetes because I’m thin”.

By “not at risk” for diabetes, I meant that, in addition to maintaining a healthy weight, my blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure are all excellent, I exercise strenuously every day, and I eat a low-GI, low carb diet.

Neither do I have asthma, but thanks for your concern. :)

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Sarah

December 27, 2008 at 1:39 am

Dear Staci: You will die someday, like the rest of us.

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olivia

July 10, 2009 at 9:36 pm

erm staci, i’d trade everything on your list just to be a decent human being.

as for my list, my overall body pain/stiffness is almost nearly gone, my sprained ankle is healing very well, my posture is getting substantially better, and i have great stamina when it comes to hiking and streneous walks. thethere are a lot of physical activity things i want to do this summer like rock-wall climbing, canoing, serious hiking, so on and so forth. being fat won’t limit me. (well maybe rock-wall climbing but i’ve been doing alosome arm/upper back strength training and i won’t let fear of not-succeeding keep me from trying).

=)

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