way. What would a sexy man like that see in a tubby woman like me? So she kept her feelings secret at first.
But Stan knew what he wanted. So one night, at the end of their jog, he leaned over to her and surprised her by saying, “Tori, I have to say I’m falling in love with you. Just felt I had
to be honest with you about that, in case you started noticing anything funny with the way I act around you. But because of your recent heartache, and all that is going on with you, I’m afraid my timing is rather bad.”
He paused then quickly added, “I really think you are an amazing person. I’d like to spend a few months away from you—a few months isn’t very long—so you can take some time to heal. And…and if we’re really meant to be together, we’ll know, after a few months of being apart.”
Tori was stunned with this revelation, and at the prospect of not seeing Stan for a long time. He was right: he had been falling in love with her, but she had been too insecure to recognize his actions as a sign of attraction—and she hadn’t even acknowledged her own feelings about him. Stan was right. There were old issues still haunting her which she had to deal with, the biggest of which was her fear that she had wasted too much time, “youth” and health over the last relationship. She had an overall sense of helplessness that she needed to overcome.
So Stan took a much-needed vacation to see his family, and to take up a course in physical therapy in the state where they
lived—that way, he said, he wouldn’t be tempted to come see
Tori. “I’ll be back,” he said.
While he was away, Tori spent the next few months exercising and training much harder than ever before. She needed to prove to herself she could transform her own body and didn’t need anyone else to do it. She wanted to become a real martial arts expert one day, too.
At this time, she checked in with a professional counselor to get additional help. She realized she had several issues that had been tucked away, that needed to be dealt with. With the counselors help, she started permanently dealing with
these issues, and began lifting off all this weight that had been holding her down.
In time, she began to look better and feel better. She acquired the habit of smiling at herself in the mirror, when nobody was around.
She still missed Stan, but she had a growing, knowing gut feeling that he would return to her. Five months later, Stan did return home.
The first thing he did upon arriving was to call Tori on the phone. Her pulse raced when she recognized the voice on the other line.
“Hey,” Stan said. “It’s me. Want to join me for another evening jog?”
Stan waited for Tori in the park, and she arrived a few minutes later. He was stunned to see her—no, bowled over—by how she looked. In the span of five months, Tori had lost 30 pounds and had chosen to grow her hair into soft layers, framing her glowing face. She was beautiful.
“Hi,” Tori said, smiling. “I’m here now.”
Stan had to catch his breath before he managed to say, “Yeah, I can see that.” He took another breath. “I can see you now.”
They started dating, and were married a few years later.
If you have a hard time motivating yourself, use the same dream-building or mind-mapping techniques I mentioned earlier, to see where a commitment to physical health fits in. Results occur only after it's been carefully mapped out first!
When you commit to putting yourself through regular exercise, you need to see it within the context of one whole self- improvement plan. This is how you can ground yourself into
that commitment. This is how you can push yourself, like Tori pushed herself, to see results. Set for yourself a schedule for exercise, and stick to it.
Have a picture of the body you want in your mind, and have a burning desire to achieve that result. If you decide that you don't want to do strenuous exercise one day, opt for a walk. Focus on the goal at all times, and the desire to stay committed to the physical exercise routine will develop.