By Aaron Stafford, MS.
“It is in men, as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.”
—Jonathan Swift
You’ve probably heard the story about the frog and the cooking pot. It goes like this: Throw a live frog into a pot of steaming water and it will jump right out. But drop a frog into a pot of cool H2O, let it cook over a slow flame, and guess what happens? The frog will stay there until it boils to death.
We don’t have to think very hard to discover the moral of the story: Most human beings would rather stay stuck in their circumstances, no matter how hot it gets, than face the terrifying uncertainty that comes with jumping into a new environment.
Of course, human beings aren’t frogs, except in fairy tales. But even in real life, there are times when people act more like the frog in the pot than they would like to admit. And they don’t know what to do about it.
No, human beings aren’t frogs: I’ve never met a man that didn’t want to improve his life in some way. I’ve never met a woman who didn’t want her dreams to come true.
Then why do so many people stay stuck in bad habits, slowly stewing to death? Why do intelligent people let bad choices destroy their opportunity to live happier and healthier lives?
The answer is simple and complex at the same time. Therapists know that programs are not the key to beating addictions. Studies show that about half of the people who seek professional help for an addiction drop out after the first two or three sessions.
External changes like going on a diet, starting an exercise program, and eliminating sources of temptation only work for a short time. Sooner or later, most people fall back into old habits.
Success only comes when we replace bad habits with healthy new habits. The key to lasting success is total lifestyle change. But we already know this. We’ve been 
hearing it for years.
That brings us back to Square 1: Why do most people fail to accomplish their goals?
Here’s some food for thought: For every smoker that kicks the habit thanks to a program, there are twenty persons that quit smoking on their own.
Q: What’s going on?
A: Success is all in the mind. Literally.
Research shows that people have a greater probability of breaking a bad habit when they take responsibility for changing the way they think about themselves.
To be successful, we need a good reason to change and information to help us get started. Whether you’re trying to give up cigarettes or high-calorie meals, the first step is the same: Make change the #1 priority in your life.
That’s the only step you need to take today. But you need to take it now, not tomorrow or next week.
That brings us to the simple part. The first step toward a happier and healthier life is to grasp the truth that only you have the power to do anything about it.
With this simple truth in mind, it’s time to discover your vein of gold.
To learn more on how to discover your vien of gold visit www.think-and-grow-thin-weightloss.com
