Don't Underestimate the Those Rose-Colored Glasses

Writing for Yahoo! this past year has been such an education for me. I've been trying the best way I know how to come up with catchy lists and encouraging ideas about eating better and moving more. At times I read your comments to get informed. I want to know what your issues are so I can attempt to address them in writing. I'd like to thank you for all your really positive comments on my blog.

But there are those people who leave comments that are totally off the wall. Maybe they're upset that my picture doesn't show me smiling. Or maybe they question how I would know about some of these real-world problems since I live a "celebrity life." Fair enough. I call that Internet bravery, and it teaches me an important lesson -- we see everything in life tinted by the glasses we wear. So if people are that upset with me (and they don't even know me) when all I'm trying to do is be a cheerleader, I wonder how frustrated they are with the rest of their lives.

My husband always told me that if he was looking for a fight he could jump in his car and chances are the first driver he came across would be willing to give him a rub. The point is I'm grateful for all of the remarks, because they continue to remind me that I believe in trying to be healthy. I'm not perfect. I'm not a saint. I take pictures without a smile from time to time. I overreact. I don't even have a few of the answers, but I'm committed to carrying the message of the importance of my health and your health.

Within a very simple formula are a lot of complex issues. Losing weight and being healthy are all about what food you put in your mouth and how often you move. This is basic stuff, so maybe it should be handled with a basic approach. Does stress or unhappiness affect your waistline? Of course -- 100%. That is the X factor. I'm certainly not qualified to even get into identifying this component. However, I've realized that a lot of the remarks on my blog are from individuals whose glasses are tinted with just enough unhappiness that they're seeking out conflict. Which brings me to the most critical issue of all - responsibility.

Believe it or not, my life is not perfect. However, I've always tried (and sometimes failed) to only point the finger at myself. At least if we own our reality, we can make the change. If we're blaming some other person or situation, then we've lost the control to make the change that we "say" we want. So in this blog entry, there will be no lists. Just a few simple questions...

• Can you eat healthier?
• What's stopping you?
• Are you able to do some form of exercise?
• What's keeping you from doing it?
• If you aren't happy, why not?
• Is there something you can do to make yourself feel better?
• If someone has screwed you in some way (a lover or a parent), can you find the way to break away from that influence? Can you forgive? Move on?
• If you have loads of stress, is there one thing you can do to alleviate it? One thing?

If you want to send me angry comments, no problem, but in the interim see if there's some way you can wipe off your glasses and see things through rosy-colored lenses. There is good in us and our lives -- we just have to be able to see it. I promise next week will be a big fat list.

Peace, happiness, and good health,

Gabby

2007 Gabrielle Reece . All Rights Reserved.
From Yahoo health