My Pedometer

I wear a pedometer. It's a wonderful little thing that not only tells me how many steps I've taken, but how many miles I've walked, how many steps were active, how many calories I've burned, if I input the food I've eaten, it will tell me how many calories I've consumed...it will record how much water I've drank...and it's only the size of a small stone!  It syncs with my phone and tablet and sends me messages of encouragement when I get close to my goals and congratulations when those goals are achieved.  Truly amazing, don't you think?  And every night, at midnight, it clears itself to zero.

Every day is a new start...it doesn't matter how many steps I took yesterday or the day before.  My pedometer only cares about today.  My pedometer doesn't get mad at me if I didn't take enough steps yesterday...it only cares about today.  Every message of encouragement is aimed at moving forward.  It doesn't care what the people around me are doing, it doesn't compare me with my peers...it only cares about me...right here, right now.

Wouldn't it be great if we treated ourselves the same way?  If our only concern was moving forward?  If we didn't look back at our past mistakes?  If we didn't care about what the people around us were doing?  If we didn't compare ourselves to anyone else?  If we gave ourselves little messages of encouragement and congratulations?  

The truth is, we do have an internal voice...our own internal pedometer...if we choose to listen.  It's like those old cartoons, the little devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.  We have one voice telling us how great we are, and another telling us we are not...but which do you choose to listen to?  I think most of us choose to listen to the little devil, but that's just a habit.  With practice, you can learn to make the angel the dominant voice in your head.

I know it will take some paying attention at first, but eventually, it will become a habit, too.  The more you listen to either voice, the stronger that voice will become.  Why not make it the voice of encouragement?  Next time you hear your internal voice telling you something great, savor it!  Hold that thought for as long as you can...the more you do this, the stronger that voice will become.  Let your inner voice be like a pedometer...forget about past mistakes, look forward, give encouragement and congratulate accomplishments.  Wouldn't that be great?