We all have at least one obsession in our lives. For some people, it’s scrap booking, for others it’s working. No matter what it is, obsessions seem to drive us, either for the bad or good. In the dictionary it says that an obsession is, “An idea or thought that CONTINUALLY preoccupies or INTRUDES on a person’s mind.”
I’ve always known what an obsession is, but I’ve never looked at the actual definition. The two words that stuck out to me were “continually” and “intrudes.”
It’s time for honesty; my obsession is….. Running. If you ask my family, they will tell you that that is all I think about. I wake up in the morning and say, “I need to go running today.” After work I come home and say, “I really need to make sure I get my run in tonight.” If I’m grumpy and my husband asks why I’ll tell him, “It’s because I didn’t run today.”
Are you annoyed yet? I know I am! Do you feel bad for my family yet? I do!! In fact, I feel so silly and realized something really important. My priorities are really messed up.
Does Your Obsession Consume You?
As I took a step back, I realized how much running has consumed my life. That is all that I focus on every day. My kids are starting to notice it. They notice that my main priority is running, not spending time with them. Not playing in the backyard with them, just going out for a dumb run.
Typing this post is so painful for me because I’m finally being honest with myself. I am finally starting to realize how much I have been consumed.
I wanted to dive deeper and figure out why I am so obsessed with running. It all stems from my struggles with accepting my body. Whenever I run, I feel like I am in control of my body. If I run, I am losing weight. What started out as a simple way to maintain my weight has turned into a life obsession.
It’s Time To Be Honest
So how do we fix our obsessions? You do what I did, be honest with yourself! Find your obsession, then dig deeper to figure out where it stems. Why do you obsess on it? If we can honestly look at our lives, then the changes start to come.
My goal for you is to be honest with yourself. Find your obsession and then start to change it. I’ve decided to change the way I talk about my running. I can still run, but I don’t need to make a big deal out of it. Just get up, go for a run and then come home. Make it simple and not a big deal.
Need more ideas how to love yourself?
UPDATE: I have been trying to be a lot better with my running obsession. It has been going awesome!!! Yesterday, I really wanted to run, but we were trying to get ready to leave town. Inside, I was going crazy because all I could think about was running. Even though my brain was screaming at me, I was calm on the outside. Vocally, tried not to mention running once. I wasn’t ornery because I didn’t run. Overall, I felt great!!!! It helped me boost my confidence because I felt like I could focus on other things (More important things). Try it out!!! Let me know how it’s going!