The Gastric Band journey is one filled with the unknown. Our lives are changing dramatically, sometimes almost every day, and it can be a very uncertain time for us. Especially as how do we know what life will be like when we reach goal? It's important to embrace this uncertain time and enjoy it as much as possible!
You know what they say - there are only 2 things in life that we can be certain of; death & taxes!! Although tongue in cheek, it is true, but what about the things in like we are not certain of? On my Lap Band journey I am finding myself in somewhat unfamiliar territory. I haven't been the weight I am now for some time and although I still have a way to go, I try to imagine what my life will be like in 6 months, 12 months, 18 months?! When I get to the weight I want to be, it will probably be at least 20 years since I've been at that weight and my life is so totally different now as to how it was and sometimes I find that just a tad confronting I have to say.
By embracing uncertainty, we move away from our need to control everything going on around us as well as the future. That does not mean that just because we don't know what is going to happen we don't plan and take action. We absolutely must but it does free us from thinking that there is some kind of absolute 'right' action we have to take and if we were to figure out what that is, well then everything will be ok.
When we don't embrace uncertainty and try to block it out because we think bad things might happen, we also block out the potential of good things occurring in our lives and you just never know what might be around the corner! If you can learn to embrace uncertainty, it will increase the prospects and possibilities in your life.
Most of us have a basic need to know what is going to happen to us as then we will know what direction to take in life. However, all we can know is what has already happened to us so basically when we feel that need for the familiar, it means we're living in the past and that's like living your life over and over - like a shocking re-run of an old soapie!
Here are some tips on how you can embrace uncertainty on your Lap Band journey:
* Accept it! Don't try to resist the urge to control everything in your life, because you just can't! Learn to embrace the times when you are unsure - sometimes we just have to go with the flow and see where it takes us. Once you take a step back you might just find the answer you've been looking for.
* Remember a time in your life when you were unsure. A good example is when you first got your licence and began to drive on your own. Remember how nervous and cautious you were, but now all these years later, you drive as if on automatic pilot. Embrace the uncertainty, keep pushing through it and eventually you'll get to your destination! Being uncertain about something just means that you have not practised it enough! When things get tough, when nothing is going your way, what will you focus on? What you choose to focus on will determine the quality of your life. So, I am working on changing my focus from worrying about the unknown to embracing the uncertainty that lies ahead, accepting it and just enjoying the journey. The best thing about it and the one thing I do know is that no matter what happens, it's going to be fabulous!
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Jen Kaminski and Jodie Flynn are Directors of Lap Band for the Mind. If you have had Lap Band surgery, they can help you maximise your chance of success.
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