Losers Make Excuses... Winners Make Adjustments

That’s what the guest pastor at our church said yesterday. He was the former pastor of Wayne Presbyterian Church of Wayne, PA. The theme of the lesson revolved around the story in the New Testament that took place at the healing waters at the Bethesda Pools. Apparently these waters, which were about the size of a football field, were amazing healing waters. And those that got to the water first when they started bubbling were healed of any disease that they had. So thousands of disabled or diseased men and women would wait by these healing waters. One such man had waited there 38 years!! When he was asked if he wanted to be well, he replied "I have no one to put me in the water and everyone always gets there first" to paraphrase. THIRTY EIGHT years of waiting. That’s a very long time.

So I thought this would be a perfect topic as the healthcare bill just passed in the US Congress. So many excuses have created our current healthcare epidemic. Here are just a few… High cholesterol and heart disease run in my family so it really doesn’t matter what my lifestyle habits… I’ve been overweight all my life and it’s not going to change now…. I have always been a worrier, my mom is, and so I am.... I can’t wake up early because I’m just not a morning person.… I don’t have time to cook dinner because I work a 12 hour day…. My kids each play 2 sports so I don’t have time for my spiritual life on the weekend and I always put my kids first.… I have bad knees…. I’m depressed and can’t do anything to change it…. I just don’t have time to exercise, I barely have time to myself as it is…. My kids aren’t respectful but they are no different than any other kid their age…. I can’t afford healthy food…. I don’t have time to cook dinner because we have dance practice from 5 till 9 four nights per week…. I don’t get 7 hours of sleep each night because I’ve got to watch Desperate Housewives and I can’t fall asleep without the TV on…. I don’t like to read and never have…. I’m too tired to do that…. I can’t donate money, I barely can pay my own bills…. I can’t sit still for 5 minutes, how could I possibly meditate…. I don’t like to sweat…. My friend’s cousin’s sister’s best friend had a bad experience with a chiropractor, so I’ll never let anyone touch my neck…. I don’t like eating breakfast. It just gags me to eat so early….

Do any of these excuses sound familiar? The pastor this past Sunday said, "Losers make excuses and winners make adjustments." So instead of the excuse that I can’t wake up early to workout, you could adjust your schedule three mornings each week, waking up 30 minutes early, to do 30 minutes on your treadmill. Rather than say I simply can’t sit still to meditate, you’ll adjust and sit quietly for 5 minutes a day and focus on your breathing. Instead of making the excuse that I don’t have enough money to give any away, you could adjust the amount of meals eaten out each month from 4 to 3 and give that $20 away. Rather than stopping for fast food you could adjust your habits to begin using your crock pot 3 nights each week. Rather than accepting your fate that heart disease is inevitable, you could adjust to the idea that your behavior creates your results in life so you’ll implement 3 new healthy habits that your health coach recommended in the next month. Rather than watching TV each night, you could adjust and TIVO two favorite shows and watch them on Saturday night, using the extra time to cook healthy meals for the week. So remember losers make excuses and winners make adjustments.

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