Fitness 101: Faith and Mindset

Hi everyone!

The last and final installment of the Fitness 101 series is about mindset! I believe it all starts in the mind and with the foundation you build it on.

This blog will focus on:
- Your Mindset
- Your WHY

I’m sure you've heard the quote, “whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.”

It is true! If you believe in yourself, take responsibility, take ownership for your life, actions, results, responses, you will have perseverance and reach your goals. If you don’t believe in yourself, you will make excuses or even self-sabotage.

Our minds feast on what we focus on, so feed it with things that are helping you grow, things that are helping you get better, things that are helping you improve, things that are positive and good, inspiring and motivating, encouraging and uplifting.

We believe in adopting a winner's mindset, a conqueror's mindset, and an ownership mindset.

We believe in being bold, being built up, and strengthened by faith.

Here are some of my favorite ways to build up a good mindset:

1. Count Your Blessings:

Acknowledging and expressing thankfulness for all the blessings and benefits you have in your life. Fresh water to drink, clean towels, hygiene products, so many blessings we can count. Count your blessings daily. This actually used to be one of my favorite ways to help me fall asleep, was thinking of all the great things that happened to me throughout the day! You can also keep a gratitude journal and write in that every morning. When you are on the lookout for good things, you create momentum and will find beauty in the small things.

2. Meditating:

Meditation is simply training the mind just like we train our bodies, our muscles, and our hearts. If you are someone whose mind is constantly running and worrying, meditation is so helpful! Meditation combined with the Word of God is a powerful tool for renewing our mind, gaining and maintaining a sense of mental peace and clarity. I use an app called Headspace that guides you through meditation. It is as easy as listening, following the exercise, and practicing daily. I like to meditate in the morning to start my day and then read the Bible. There is also an app I like called Abide, which has guided meditations that go along with the Word, they are similar to a devotional in audio!

3. Fill Your Mind with the Good, the Pure, the Positive, & the Word of God:

As I stated before, our minds feast on what we focus on, so if we are filling our mind with the Word of God, with scripture and truth, your mind, spirit, and heart will be filled up with things that are good. When you are reading your Bible, take note of verses that stick out to you, verses that encourage, comfort you, strengthen you, memorize them and keep them handy for when you need help! I used to be a huge quote person, I loved having quotes I could refer to help lift my spirit or mindset, and now scripture does that for me!

4. Faith and Trust:

I also believe having a foundation of “standing firm in your faith”, trusting and believing in the unseen can be incredibly helpful for having a resilient and positive mindset. When your mind and thoughts get carried away, it is easy to worry or be anxious but the more you believe and trust in the unseen, the less worry will get the best of you!

5. Belief and Confidence:

Believe in yourself. Be bold in your belief in yourself. Believe in who God says you are and in who God is. Believe in the power you have when you set your mind to something. Set your sights on something with determination, diligence and with firm resolve remain on that path! Tell yourself you can and you will.

Mark 9:23 reads as follows: “If you can?” said Jesus, "Anything is possible for one who BELIEVES".

Speak positively, gently, and kindly to yourself, showing yourself grace and mercy, judging yourself positively, and learning about yourself.

I also believe that our mindset determines lots of our actions, decisions, responses. Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? Do you have positive self-talk or negative self-talk? Do you allow room for failure and grace, or do you punish yourself and never meet perceived expectations? All these play a role in our mindset, which spills over into how we live.

Another part of our mindset is our reason, our why, behind our actions and decisions.

What is the reason behind what you do? What is the purpose that drives your actions? Why do you workout? Why do you eat healthily? Why do you have the goals you have? Why do you want the things you desire?

Here at Flyte, we work out, eat healthily and aim to honor God in everything we do. We honor Him by taking care of the bodies that he blessed us with. We give thanks for our health, our physical abilities and take care of our physical health to glorify God.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” -1 Corinthians 10:31

If we are seeking external, empty things to fulfill us, we may get into fitness for approval or validation. We may also get into fitness expecting it to make us happy, or placing our identity in something that may not last. I say this because I have been there, I placed my identity in fitness, looking to fitness, aesthetics, and competing as a source of happiness, the source of purpose and significance.

Here are some of my favorite verses to help get me grounded and focused on good things.

- Matthew 22:37
- Proverbs 4:23
- Philippians 4:8
- 1 Corinthians 10:31
- Matthew 6:33

- Charissa

Charissa Sutliff is an Online Fitness & Nutrition Development Coach, a Competition Prep Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, and holds a B.S. in Kinesiology. She also holds an M.A. in Higher Education Administration. She is enthusiastic about faith, working out, healthy nutrition, meditating, learning, growing and coffee!