What I learned when I thought I was about to get a gun pulled on me

A few months ago I saw a lady walking in my neighborhood, very underdressed for the weather and looking confused. I went and picked her up to give her a ride home.

She told me many tales of adventure and intrigue. She also taught me a lesson, in a way I will never forget.

She looked me straight in the eyes and said "Do you think I have a weapon on me?"

I had heard some metal clanking around in her bags when she got into my truck, so I wasn't sure. But I told her I did not think she had any weapons.

She said, "You're wrong, I do have one." Then she just stared at me for what seemed like 10 minutes without saying a word.

Then she pointed at her head and said, "My mind. My mind is my most important weapon."

This whole uncomfortable exchange ended on a good note and I still see her from time to time. And she was right, the mind is a powerful weapon and you can use it to achieve any fitness goal you want.

The mind is the most important muscle to keep in shape for weight loss, endurance, strength training, etc... You want to visualize what you want to do. EXACTLY what you want to do and EXACTLY what you have to do to get there.

If you want to lose weight, decide how much and how you're going to do it. Picture yourself eating the healthy meals, dominating the workouts, getting adequate rest, drinking plenty of water, etc…

Always think positive thoughts! Because your mind can also work against you if you have a self defeating, negative attitude. There are many things you have no control over, but every day you get decide what kind of attitude you have.

Decide what you want, develop a plan to get there, and then constantly build up your belief that you can do it.