Jon Stanton

Do you sometimes feel like you are up against so many challenges in life you don't even know where to start?

I know the feeling. Recently, I've found myself expressing frustration at the seemingly endless number of challenges I find in front of me. The challenge to eat healthily, the challenge to keep exercising during the winter, the challenge to keep exercising when my heel hurts and my joints ache, the challenge of family issues, the challenge to accept that I am who God made me and be content with that, and the list goes on and on and ON...

Here's something I've learned (I think) about challenges. First, they totally suck. I mean, let's be honest - people can say "I enjoy a challenge" all they want, and yeah, certainly there are some challenges in life that are enjoyable. However, most of the significant "life challenges" we face, basically just suck.

However, I've also learned that challenges have a way of making us stronger when we perservere. I KNOW that it's possible to eat healthily and move my body during the winter because I've done it successfully in the past. Not only that, but I also know that I can confront challenges to the best of my ability and when they are conquered, I benefit by learning new life skills and growing stronger.

OK, enough psychological mumbo-jumbo for today. After all, this isn't "Dr. Jon's" blog. One final thought - NEVER GIVE UP! Hey, I'm a human being too, and a question I'm often asked is "how do you stay motivated" or "I'll bet staying healthy is really easy for you now, right?" Well - there are many things I do to stay motivated, some of which you can find on this website. As for it being "easy?" Think again. Overcoming addictions is never easy. It's a daily battle. Most of the time I succeed, but not always. Part of learning from my challenges is learning how to not let my failures derail my overall success. Guess what? You can do it too. I'm just a normal, everyday guy. If I can do it, I know you can too!