BLOG: Do You Live Like Water?

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” – Beverly Sills 

When water flows downhill against gravity it takes the path of least resistance.  This figure of speech is also used to metaphorically describe certain human behavior. When used in this context the resistance is sometimes used as a metaphor for some type of effort. It's usually a reference to the avoidance of effort.

So … Do you live like water?

In your efforts, do you try to find the easiest way out - do you consistently take shortcuts? In a , I wrote about the “inconvenience” of living a healthy active lifestyle. With that in mind, many people try to take shortcuts to getting in shape. There are so many infomercials with pills, fat melting creams, and workout gadgets. Then there are all the diets – The Grapefruit Diet, The Cookie Diet, and The Cabbage Soup Diet just to name a few. They all make claims of being the best (and the fastest/easiest route) designed to work with a minimal amount of effort. Don’t exercise; exercise for 5 minutes a day, or eat three specially made diet cookies a day for 6 weeks. These are all shortcuts to health. Instead, you should be doing the work required to make exercise and eating healthy foods a part of your life.

I know that making lifestyle changes is not an easy thing to do. It takes a considerable amount of work, and it will not happen overnight. Patience plays an important role in the goal achievement process. So, don’t look for shortcuts. Instead of focusing on the work involved, focus on the benefits of making the changes. You will have more energy, more confidence, it could help you with a health issue, and the quality of your life will improve drastically. And, if changing your body is a goal – it will also occur as a result of the changes. So, if you have some changes to make regarding health and fitness, don't sell yourself short.

This habit of taking shortcuts doesn’t just apply to health and fitness. It applies to all aspects of life. As life becomes more convenient, it brings it with a sense of impatience, comfort, and even worse, laziness. I ran into a guy that, like so many others, is working a job that is unfulfilling to him but pays well. He said to me that he’s working there until he hits the lottery; then he’s gone. Well, he probably has a better chance of being struck by lighting during our next thunderstorm. I certainly hope that doesn’t happen to him, but you get my point. It’s a long shot. This lottery mentality, which is basically a shortcut out of the current life you’re living, is not uncommon. It’s the path of least resistance.

Bill Gates didn’t win the lottery…

Oprah didn’t win the lottery…

Don’t shortcut your way through life. Don’t wait on magic fat-melting creams and the lottery to change your life. Take on the effort - take action - and create the changes. It’s not going to be easy. But, if you take shortcuts, you may end up somewhere that you don’t want to be. Take the long route - enjoy the journey, and don’t live your life like a traveling stream of water.

David E. Cox, ACE-CPT, is a personal trainer that has dedicated his life to helping to improve the lives of others through exercise and healthy living. He is owner of , a private personal training studio in Glen Burnie, MD where we educates, motivates, and inspires people from all walks of life. Be sure and sign up for his monthly eNewsletter, The Vibe, at www.positivevibesfitness.com