There may be someone who reads this who may have been playing our game who has quit...if you are, I am so sorry you left...and so sorry I didn't get to talk to you about it...because this isn't quitting a game..it is quitting you.
I received an email early in the week (Monday, I think) from a player who I have played with and watched WIN before...She is days from her 40th birthday, 3 great kids, great husband, wonderful support network. She heard about the game from me on July 4th at the pool, and was instantly hooked...She is THE most organized person I know, and the structure, plus me RAVING about the plan, hooked her, and I joined her in HER game for my second game.
This person, who knows the game so well, hit a ROCKY point... I bet anyone who is a parent has hit this wall...one kid with a fever, one throwing up, the entire extended family sick (and were at your house two days before)...the black clouds have rolled over your house, and it was supposed to a be a short, easy week. AND this mom has to think about sleep (ha, ain't happening!), water (coughing, coughing, and we know where that goes!), taking care of kids, oh, 5 meals a day and exercise, RIGHT...done!
DONE?? I received 2 emails reading her desperation and her readiness to throw in the towel...as soon as I drop off my youngest at school, we are on the phone. She starts in on how bad things are. She starts in on how she should just stop playing. She starts in on this is NUTS...and I interrupt.
I am not ALL-KNOWING, ALL-POWERFUL, or ALL-COMPLIANT....I am sure I don't have the record for playing this game...but I know that I have not played all 6 games with extreme passion or conviction, but I have still played because it STILL worked.
One line that the author wrote that I will never forget is something like this (paraphrasing) 'Even if you play this game at 60%, you are going to be healthier, feel better and be taking better care of yourself by doing so.' This gamer was having an all out CRAPPY start of her week. I don't blame her AT ALL for wanting to throw in the towel...but her family was not chronically ill...this was a family bug, that God-willing, would get be done in 3-5 DAYS...all of them!! And then, what??
I told this gamer that it was the wrong message to quit. That some score was better than no score. And that the reason this game works is because of your teammates and your competition. Yes, our cash pot right now would be nice in all of our pockets...realistically, it would be best in the pockets of our sweet, very cute youngest group who are all still in college or just graduated with no real money to their names....but in the end, we are all winning because we are all LOSING....
In regards to losing...we all did weigh in today. The gamer above, not only made her goal weight, her team has shot to the top 3 teams...darn it...but yay...yay for her gummption to stick with it...
IF you are still reading, and frustrated by the lack of weight loss this week, please remember that this is a process...what many folks realize by week 2-4, is that there is truly no quick fix to having a weight problem. BUT if you can find a program that will work for you, keep you accountable, have some fun doing it, and learn how to re-prioritize food, you may be able to stay on this plan long enough to NOT have a weight problem....
Thank you Barb! A huge lesson was learned in all of this.
ReplyDeleteI was worried that I would be bringing my team down but it turns out they had it covered. And isn't that what being on a team is all about!
Life is always going to get in the way. All I can do is my best to try to keep things in balance. Some days/weeks are going to be better than others. I am getting better and that's all I can ask for.
I am so lucky to have you in my life! Love you Barb!