Walk the Talk

I've been writing a lot about positivity and how to make it relevant and applicable. I even wrote a blog about the power of your words and how to talk effectively to change bad habits of thinking, but I'm learning that words alone aren't always enough. I'm learning that your actions have to convey what your words are saying.

Some people know how to use words to their benefit. They speak eloquently and with fervor and when they say things, we think they have it all together. However, when other's words and actions don't line up, we feel a sense of violation. We feel "had". It may even become a "boy who cried wolf" situation and we lose a lot of respect for those people. I'm sure we've all encountered situations like that - I know I have, but how often do we step back and take a moment to examine our own actions and how they line up with what we say? How often do we examine if we're falling into the same pretense?

I've done just that recently and realized I've had little to no motivation to put into action any of my positive thinking. Instead, I've let my circumstances beat me down until my old ways of thinking, talking, and doing creep back up. I'm trying not to whine about "how hard it is" or that "I can't do it". Instead of negative talk, I just don't say anything at all. But, honestly, I ask myself how conducive is that really. What am I doing to put forth my plan for positivity? Not much lately...

Not saying or doing anything at all can be just as bad as negative talk, and here is the reason why.

Negative talk means you're moving, but usually in the wrong direction. Not saying or doing anything means you're stagnant; you're not progressing forward. It's good to sometimes be still and assess the situation before moving forward, but I've made a plan and my actions are not lining up with my words. So, how the heck do I do this? I've chosen a couple of quotes to help me answer this question.

"Life is like riding a bicycle - in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." ~Albert Einstein~


"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." ~Peter Cohen~

"The elevator to success is out of order. You'll have to use the stairs... one step at a time." ~Joe Girard~

The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. ~Chinese Proverb~

I guess what I'm seeing with these quotes is that there does have to be an action, a movement, but that action does not have to be giant or monumental. No, its quite the opposite. Little steps. Baby steps. I had forgotten that was part of the plan.

I keep saying how much I want to lose weight, and then I sit on the couch every night when I get home. I keep saying how much I want to be positive, and then I complain and gripe about things that irk me every chance I get. I keep saying how I want deep meaningful friendships, but then I cancel on people left and right. I keep saying how I want to develop my relationship with God, but I struggle to read my bible. So.....are my actions lining up with my words? Not really. It's a learning process and I'm gonna start one step at a time.

Wish me luck as I begin to not just talk the talk, but learn to walk the talk one baby step at a time.