Cracklings, Crawdads, and Boudin…Time to CHANGE a few things up?”

Cracklings, Crawdads, and Boudin…Time to CHANGE a few things up?”
By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS

I was down in Lafayette, Louisiana a few weeks ago doing talks for the American Heart Association, and then a half-day “IMPACT Leadership” program for a private company specializing in oil and gas industry transportation. And a funny thing happened once I landed at the airport.

I grabbed a taxi to shuttle to my hotel and the driver asked with a deep southern accent, “Siirrr…WHY are you here in Louisiana?”

I said, “I’m here to speak at an American Heart Association function and for another group. I’m going to light a spark under their backsides to try and get the people here healthier and more fit.”

He looked at me through his rearview mirror, and again said with his long drawl, “Siirr… that should be real easy down here. You just have to tell everyone this…

“Tell them to stop eating Boudin, cracklings, crawdads, gumbo soup, and turtle soup. That stuff’s a delicacy down here and one of the reasons why many of us are overweight and not too healthy.”

I stopped him and said, “Ugh… Sir, what is ‘boo-dan’ and cracklings?”

My driver, now with a big smile on his face, explained that Boudin is like stuffed sausage filled with pork and heart meats. Cracklings are bits of fried pork skin.

My mouth just dropped and I said, “Wow… they really eat that down here?”

He just smiled, and about started salivating. And I just smiled, and about got sick.

This is EXACTLY what I’m going to tell the people to STOP eating!

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Sounds easy to do, right??? Stop eating this… Stop eating that… Do this… Do that…

Right this minute, I could tell you 25 things you should stop eating… And 25 things you should start eating…

I could tell you 25 things to stop doing… And 25 things to start doing to get healthy.

But it probably wouldn’t make a difference.

BECAUSE UNLESS YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE… LIKE REALLY, REALLY, WANTED TO CHANGE… OR NEEDED TO CHANGE…

Every bit of knowledge you have and every bit of knowledge I have won’t make a difference. We are NOT hurting for information.

But we are hurting for more discipline. For more accountability. For more willpower. These are the ingredients in the proven recipe to CHANGE unhealthy habits.

And this is what I want to talk with you about today… CHANGE… As it relates to life. Business. Exercise. Nutrition. Leadership. Relationships. Yourself.

You know what they say about change: Change is inevitable. I often say, “Either you choose change… or change chooses you.”

Sometimes CHANGE chooses you.

This could mean your unhealthy ways have caught up to you and you now have heart disease. Or you have Type—II diabetes. Hypertension. Joint pain. Depression. Sadly, this list could go on and on.

Or, maybe it has nothing to do with your lifestyle and you have just been diagnosed with cancer. Or you’ve had an accident or are facing a debilitating injury.

Or, maybe it’s just life.

•    Your life partner is offered an amazing job 3,000 miles away.
•    Your landlord raises your rent beyond your ability to pay.
•    Your biggest client no longer wants to do business with you.
•    Your favorite trainer leaves the neighborhood gym you love.
•    Your house has termites and the bill is thousands of dollars.
•    Your employer announces they are closing your office.
•    Your last child is leaving the nest at the end of summer.

Change WILL happen. Again, and again, and again. We don’t always like it. But we accept it because it’s part of life. Like the ocean tides coming in and going out.

I believe there are energy shifts at different times in your life. And the most important thing you can do is to honor that energy by preparing for change. Nurture your best practices and disciplines to grow personally and professionally. Be READY.

So my friend, where do you stand today on CHANGE in your life? Are you prepared for the next high tide?

Choose CHANGE today!

Are you, right now, living the healthiest you? Check in on the following:

•    Your overall fitness levels and conditioning.
•    Your flexibility and how good your body FEELS.
•    Your body composition or how your body LOOKS.
•    Your biometrics (blood pressure, cholesterol, waist/hip ratio, blood panel, etc.).
•    Your living environment.
•    Your work environment.
•    Who you surround yourself with.
•    A specific relationship you are in.

Added together, these make up the healthiest you. So, remember, you are in the driver’s seat. You can choose change before it chooses you. You can choose to be ready. To live your healthiest life.

This kind of change doesn’t need to be massive to make a big difference. Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting your mind right and choosing a different perspective.

For some, change might need to be BIG, but the first step never does. Begin where you can. Change of all sizes requires courage. Have the courage to CHANGE what needs to change in your life.

And whether your greatest needs are physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental, professional, or personal – choose change for a healthier you.

What do you choose to CHANGE today? It’s time to take action.

Much love… and much CHANGE.

Todd

P.S. I never did get to try the Boudin or cracklings down there in the Bayou. But I certainly did pass on the advice from my taxi cab driver to all the people I had the opportunity to talk with down there. And they just smiled and laughed… and hopefully chose to CHANGE.