Before we can even get to the "New Rules" -- we need to get one thing clear, and that's "The Epiphany":
Until YOU realize the importance of YOUR own health and well-being, no one else can force YOU to care. Until YOU realize that how YOU treat YOUR body (food, exercise, care, kindness and forgiveness) is a practice of love and a statement to the world about how YOU feel about YOUR own value, YOU will continue to see diet and exercise as a cycle of deprivation or guilt followed by punishment. YOU will feel any sense of self-worth to be misguided, selfish, or entirely absent.
Until YOU realize the importance of YOUR own health and well-being, no one else can force YOU to care. Until YOU realize that how YOU treat YOUR body (food, exercise, care, kindness and forgiveness) is a practice of love and a statement to the world about how YOU feel about YOUR own value, YOU will continue to see diet and exercise as a cycle of deprivation or guilt followed by punishment. YOU will feel any sense of self-worth to be misguided, selfish, or entirely absent.
The Epiphany is that it is not about deprivation, guilt, or punishment. The Epiphany is a deep and abiding sense of self worth, of value, of presence. The Epiphany is the sonic boom or the quiet whisper simply of "I matter." The Epiphany can be broken down into various "I matter" phrases -- such as "my feelings matter" or "my health matters." When your heart/mind/soul begins to stick up for yourself, it is only natural that your body does as well, as they are all interrelated.
If all you can manage to follow is the belief that food is not a reward or something you earn and exercise is not punishment, then you've won half the battle.
4a. I will not let someone else's judgment of me change how I feel about myself.
4b. I am on this journey because of the courage I had when I took the first step.
4c. The journey is not a competition; it is a community, a movement, a calling.
5. I dictate how I feel about myself, not the scale.
6. Persistence, not perfection.
7. Your size, shape, age, gender, or experience level doesn't matter as much as your focus, determination, and heart when it comes to the [boxing] gym. What matters most is that when you are in the gym you are 100% committed to learning and trying your very best, whatever your best may be on any given day.
8. Even on your worst day, you can be someone's hero.
