It’s eleven days before Christmas…
Exactly 21 days have passed since Thanksgiving.
How close are you to reaching your goal of losing 5, 10, 20, 30 lbs. or more?
Perhaps you have a Grinch in your life? Or worse yet, several Grinches.
How many of us recall the original 1966 Dr. Seuss animated movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas?” It is my favorite Dr. Seuss story, and one of my most-memorable Christmas tales.
Slave to a Grinch. Poor Max the Dog. He would do ‘anything’ for his master.
10,000 feet atop of Mount Crumpit, this tiny dog acts as the lone reindeer, “pulling” a sled 100 times his weight. An impossible task for one small dog. However, the Grinch is ruthless in his endeavor. He so desperately wants to reach the bottom of the hill to reach his goal of robbing everyone blind of their Christmas wishes. After a single whip, the sled tugs forward and gravity descends the sled rapidly toward the Village of Whoville.
For those familiar with the movie, know what happens next.
As innocent Max awaits outside, the Grinch steals all the Christmas presents from every house in Whoville. The Grinch, always taking, but never giving, he even tells stories to a sleepy child, all the while patting her on the head telling her Christmas will be okay.
Many of us have had a Grinch in our lives. Someone who takes, but rarely (if ever) gives in return. Whether it’s a toxic boss. A family member. A “so called” friend. Maybe a neighbor. Or perhaps it’s a number of people in our inner and/or outer circle. The world is full of Grinches who zap our positive energy.
Enter a world full of Grinches.
Maybe it’s that toxic boss so rotten, you come home too exhausted to work out.
Maybe you work long hours listening to other Grinch’s (people’s) problems (OPP), then have to cook supper for the kids when you get home, totally drained.
Or perhaps you’re just so sick and tired of your job, but too afraid of leaving, worried you’ll never find anything better, and there’s just no hope of ever getting in better physical shape.
These are all “Grinch” moments – so tiring, so frustrating, so fearful to take action because of ‘the corner’ you have somehow painted yourself into. Instead, you stay in the same old rut, failing to develop a plan of action and taking the necessary steps to change not only your fitness goals, but your quality of life goals too…
Despite attempts by ‘the Grinch, the people of Whoville never lost their faith.
Moving through that “minefield of life” filled with so many negative people who do their best to trip us up and keep us from reaching our goal, unless we make a concerted effort to plan and keep moving toward our objectives, things will never change, and…the Ugly Grinch will ALWAYS win.
My philosophy to success: “If you want to be the best, surround yourself with good people.”
The same holds true with getting fit. Staying in shape. Losing weight. Looking our best.
Toxic people simply…suck. They suck all our positive energy. They consume our time. They make life 10 times harder than it has to be. They drain us of our desire to accomplish our goals. They simply suck the life out of us and try their best to bring us to our knees.
So what do you have to lose?
Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give…”
So what are some ways to spot and avoid a toxic situation?
1. Don’t Expect Them To Change…
2. Establish and Maintain Boundaries…
3. Don’t Be Pulled Into a Crisis…
4. Focus On The Solution…
5. Own Your Difficulties And Weaknesses…
6. Understand Projection…
7. Know They May Resist…
8. Choose Your Battles Carefully…
9. Surround Yourself With Healthy People…
Staying too long at an unhealthy job can do serious and long-lasting damage to your career!!!
Here are 5 Reasons to Leave Your Toxic Job Right Now
1. A toxic job will change your idea of normal.
2. A toxic job will give you bad work habits that you’ll take to your next job.
3. The longer you stay in a toxic job, the more likely you’ll be to need your bad manager as a reference in the future.
4. It will slow your professional growth.
5. It may be making you sick.
My Grinch.
I’ll be honest. After 22 years of being mostly spoiled and surrounded by great people in the Air Force, life in the corporate sector was not so grand. This only applies to a small handful. But one or two rotten apples is all it takes… People are cut throat. Ruthless. Twist the truth. Secretly undermine. Backstab. Suck up to management.
The courage from my Whoville.
Is it worth letting ‘situations’ or ‘people’ dictate our life? When I came in proximity of overwhelming toxicity, I charted a clear path around it and moved on. I’ve tackled situations head on. I’ve remained calm in doing so. Toxic bosses have actually helped me chart a better course. I’ve embraced negativity and let it drive me. Letting nothing stand in my way. I’m not the only one that has gone through this. A LITTLE SUFFERING IS NOT ALWAYS A BAD THING, IT MAKE US STRONGER! But a lifetime (or seemingly lifetime) of personal or professional struggles filled with toxic people, is counter-productive to a fulfilling life and career!
So a New Year is upon us…
Will you let toxicity rule your life?
Do you see yourself in a better place in 6, 12, or 18 months?
We are ALL capable of overcoming life’s major obstacles.
Be willing to take the risks! Plan and make a change for the better!
Don’t let toxicity rule your life.
Learn how to deal with toxic people.
Or better yet minimize or eliminate the contact with the Grinches in your life.
Always remember:
Toxic people don’t rule you. ONLY YOU RULE YOUR LIFE! “You have options!”
Stay hungry all the way to the top! #FitTo100 #MyRoadMyStory
Merry Christmas! 🙂
