When I did the International Baccalaureate, one of the higher level modules I selected was psychology. To be honest, I don’t even know why I took it as I had no interest whatsoever in the field. Now that I look back, I’m kind of glad I did. All the concepts and theories have so much relevance in almost any situation. Take the Skinner Box Experiment which basically illustrates the importance of positive reinforcement on behavior. Rewards or merits following a specific behavior increase the occurrence of the said behavior. Granted the study was done on rats but it definitely does hold true for humans. Whether it’s in the form of good grades after months of revision, a fat pay check, or a lowered blood pressure after starting to exercise, a little acknowledgement for our hard work makes it all worth it.

Other than the obvious benefits, one big source of motivation for continuing to eat healthily and exercise is the compliments I receive from others. Maybe that makes me shallow but it’s what works.  I’m sure you’ll agree that positive words from others is a powerful form of motivation that makes us feel good and makes us want to continue to persist with our efforts. As humans, we tend to do things that we are being praised for, especially if the praise is deserved and offered without an ulterior motive.

In that respect, I want to give a shout out to my mom whose birthday it is. Without her repeated trips to the supermarket, weighing out all my food to the last gram when I was on Weight Watchers, squeezing my vegetable juice on a daily basis, putting up with my tantrums, and so much more- I probably wouldn’t have been able to achieve half the results as I did.

Happy birthday 🙂

Tis the season guys. Is someone else doing something worthy of your praise? Spread the joy and let them know. What might seem like a mere few words to you may mean the world to someone else!!