There have been times over the years when I did not care about myself. I chose to make excuses instead of taking initiative. I needed to do things to make changes for the better. When I make deliberate choices that don’t lead to the changes I want, I am the only one to blame. I should not pass the blame to others or passively blame necessary factors that keep me well. I know I have to make better lifestyle choices and it starts in the mind and with me.

I prefer to do what has the easiest response. It is not always the best choice. Instead of doing what is needed to make the changes I want, I focus on long-term effects. When the results show up down the road, I often pass the blame on the issues. I do this instead of taking the initiative needed to combat the issues at hand. We got to where we are because we often ignored doing the right thing. We missed opportunities to make things better for us. In the end, whether we were combating the issue or sabotaging it, it was detrimental. This was true no matter how we looked at it.

I got where I am today because I never took the initiative. I didn’t make things what they needed to be. I know that it is up to me. I must be the driving force behind the change that needs to be made for the better. I will not let the old behaviors continue to play out. If there is something that I want, I must want to make the necessary changes. I should not be stagnant and stay passive. I should not make excuses for what is causing things to happen. Taking care of my mental health is why my physical health is the way it is.

The reality is that all kinds of health all work together to keep everyone in balance. Improving my physical health is the hardest task. It requires me to take the initiative and put effort into physically tough activities. These activities can seem difficult or unwanted. I fear something bad will happen to me. The hardest part can seem like the little things. They start to set us in the direction we need to go to become better. We start to combat the issues that are hardest for us. It becomes less desirable to make excuses since what we need to do becomes easier. We see it’s not as hard as we make it out to be because we took those first steps.

In the end, I know I need to take action. I have to do things that can help combat the side effects of the medication. I have been taking this medication for several years. In the past, I have blamed the side effects for my size. I now know I must do more than just talk about changes. I need to make differences not only in my mental health but in all dimensions of my own wellness. I must stop making excuses. I need to be the driving force behind the change. I have the power to make it happen.