Day 16, the hard makes it great

I was at work yesterday, fairly content and not at all thinking about sugar. Then my boss mentioned she was eating her favorite ice cream and immediately I was salivating. Just like Pavlov's dog, I'm a conditioned animal. That disruption of my inner peace reminded me how little control we have over external triggers. I could walk in to a buffet of pastries and baked goods at work today and there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. This is why we need to bolster ourselves from within so we are not so affected by the whims of others. 

The world is full of challenging situations. Sugary foods are plentiful and socially acceptable. Opting out of sweets means marching to your own drummer. I read a quote once that has been attributed to Tom Hanks, "if it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great." So let's reframe the challenge of not eating sugar from being a burden to being something that makes us unique and powerful. It empowers us to be the best we can be, and doesn't diminish us unless we let it.