The Law of Facilitation is running your life. The Law of Facilitation explains "When an impulse has passed once through a certain set of neurons to the exclusion of others, it will tend to take the same course on a future occasion, and each time it traverses this path the resistance in the path will be smaller."

 

In short, once you take a path it will become easier to keep taking that path and harder to start taking a new one. This is how habits are created. This is how our lifestyles are created. That's why old habits are so hard to change. There's one thing greater, bigger, and stronger than the Law of Facilitation and that is love.

 

A labor of love is always easier to manage than labor without love. Change takes energy and commitment and it's easy to give everything when you're doing it out of love. The first meeting that I have with clients is not about how much weight they want to lose or what their goals are.

 

The first meeting I have with clients is to find out what their one love is. I want to know what is the love they are willing to experience right now; what is the love that they are willing to change for; what is the one love they are willing to be uncomfortable and grow for; who can they love becoming. 

 

Our society has tried shame, guilt, and fear mongering people into changing their health for decades. It's just not working. If shame and guilt actually aided us in making changes we wouldn't be having discussions like this because we've all tried that tactic. If accountability, food, or exercise were the real problems we wouldn't be needing this discussion because everyone claims they'll hold you accountable and there is more information on nutrition and exercise available at your fingertips than ever before. The problem is much bigger, much deeper than accountability, food, and exercise. 

 

Commitment is greater when your goal is your own. Finding what really matters to you, what is most important to you is what will keep you moving forward to make changes in your lifestyle. Focusing on what you don't have, on what you need to stop doing, on what you shouldn't eat only energizes the old pathways in the law of facilitation. Instead, throw all of your energy onto the new. Celebrate what you do have. Focus on the things you want to add into your life that will make you better. Focus on the things you do or want to do that will make you happier. And focus on adding in foods, movements, and things that will make you healthier. 

 

Instead of punishing yourself for foods you ate, punishing yourself with workouts because you hate your body, ask yourself who can you love becoming. The joy is not just in the destination, the joy is in the journey. In order to create new laws of facilitation, to walk new pathways, it's going to take energy and commitment and it will be a lot easier if it's a labor of love. 

 

Sweat & Smiles (& extra love),

Melissa 

 

Editor's Note: Melissa (Romano) Robbins is the founder of You First a personal training program created because of a strong belief that the greatest investment you can make is in yourself! After graduating from West Virginia Wesleyan College she completed 200+ hours to obtain her Professional Certificate of Personal Fitness Training from Pierpont Community College.  Since 2009 she has worked full-time as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and wellness coach. She believes in functional fitness, healthy lifestyle changes and a holistic approach to a better, happier life. She was born and raised in Clarksburg and is married to Bridgeport native Alan Robbins, owner of First University baseball facility. Alan and Melissa welcomed their son, Cannon in September 2015. Visit Melissa's Web site at  https://youfirst.fitness/ or email her at melissa@youfirst.fitness.