The Other Voice

I've been trying to cultivate and listen to The Other Voice, rather than The Little Voice. For the past two days I have done a full workout, even yesterday I squeezed it in when I had plenty of very good reasons not to. TOV told me that I would be glad if I did, so I did. Then I got on the elliptical warmed up and started going full out. I was wearing a lot of clothes to get a good sweat going because that motivates me somehow. Fairly soon in to the workout TLV mentioned that if I kept working out this hard I would have to continue at that level to get any results. TOV reminded me that this was about being healthy and strong; being able to work out at a higher level is a sign of progress. Then my legs started to burn. TLV told me to stop so it wouldn't hurt anymore. TOV told me to relish the burn as as sign of progress.


TLV "You might injure yourself and not be able to work out. Then what will you do?"

TOV "This is just the good burn that comes from using your muscles. You won't get hurt"

TLV "You're tired. You've done so much just since coming home from work. It is OK to cut this short."

TOV "You have plenty of time. But if you really want to stop wait until you get to the next level of calories burned."

By that time I was OK, and kept going. Then TLV started in with the list of all the things I had to do. TOV reminded me that they didn't all have to be done right then and to keep going until the commercials came on, as I was watching Seinfeld reruns. TOV can be a little sneaky because once the commercials came on, she suggested that I keep going until the commercials were over. Perhaps I should go as hard as I possible could during the commercials and then cool down once the show came back on. So, I did. During the commercials, she kept telling me how good I looked and how that pretty red Christmas dress in the closet was going to look so hot on me, and how I was going to get new shoes in just a few more pounds, and the next thing I knew, I'd done the full routine.

I'm a little sore in my midsection today from two days of exercise in a row, although I didn't do weights yesterday because even TOV agrees that a day should be skipped in between those for muscle repair. It is that good kind of sore.  The sore that is a reminder of the good choices being made.  I think I like TOV. She's not nearly as whiny as TLV. She's strong and does the hard stuff to get to the good stuff that she wants.

I'm thinking she needs a better name though...The Better Voice, The Right Voice, The Strong Voice, The Happy Voice, suggestions?  It just came to me - The Voice of Truth!