Growing up, I was being told who I shouldn't be making friends with. More of often than I was told what to do I was instead, told what not to do. Drawing attention to what it is you don't want or don't need is what we call a self-fulfilling prophecy. You live up to your own expectations. Your beliefs create your thoughts, your thoughts create your actions, your actions create your habits and your habits determine your character. Ultimately, your character is what determines your destiny.


It's a form of self hypnosis. When you tell yourself over and over again that you don't want to be overweight anymore being overweight is what the mind is being attracted to. It's the same as if I told you not to think of a pink elephant. You'd automatically think about a pink elephant. Do not your inner dialogue to say you need to lose weight. The weight is all you are focusing on rather than your success. Instead, tell yourself that you're getting slimmer everyday. Slim, thin, fit and in-shape are the adjectives that should be used to describe you future-projected-self. My mother used to say “Kevin, Tomorrow never comes”. (A bad reference to my father's promises) Meaning that if I tell you I'll do something tomorrow, soon tomorrow will come and it will be today. Meaning that it'll never be finished because I said I'd do it tomorrow and today is always today. Rather than telling yourself someday that you'll be the person you want to be instead take control of your present state and claim your success now.


Keeping the positive, motivational social group around will guarantee success. This same concept of fulfilling the expectations put on us have proven to be true multiple times in my life and those I've sought information from. When I was a kid I didn't say hi to our family doctor and my mother told him “Kevin is just shy”. The doctor told my mother to never to say that again because I would listen and begin to believe that I was actually shy. That would ultimately be the identity I'd live up to unless I challenged it. The moral of the story is to surround yourself with positive reinforcement. If someone in your group of friends is putting you down and not celebrating your success than it's time to cut them out of your life. Plan and simple.