Is this as good as it gets?

Remember the 90s rom-com with Helen Hunt and Jack Nicholson, As Good As It Gets? They were at the peak of their art and won Academy Awards for their roles. The film is a classic

It’s a hilarious take on OCD. Nicholson's famously misanthropic character fires off zingers hilarious for their dryness and razor-sharp edginess. 

His best line is the pessimistic capitulation, "What if this is as good as it gets?" 

As funny and brutally realistic as those words may be, that sort of mindset is the opposite of what we believe, preach, and teach. 

Optimism is the trust and confidence that things can and will get better.

Consistent people are optimists.

They believe that life, and more specifically, their future self, can and will be better. They know that the work they put into themselves will inevitably result in positive change. They know that better is not only possible, but also certain, as long as they continue to show up and do the work. 

Not gonna lie, there are days when these glass-half-full people are annoying, when I'm feeling a lot like Melvin, and I want to punch them.

A cool thing about optimism - we can choose it, even on days when we want to slap the half-full glass out of that damned optimist's hand.

It all has to do with what we look for in people and in the world. And with whom we surround ourselves.

When we look for bad, dark, and gloomy, it's unlikely that we'll find good, bright, and cheery. If the people we choose to be with are bad, dark, and gloomy, it's unlikely that we'll feel good, bright, and cheery.

Listen, you were made for more. You are capable of more. And you deserve more.

This is NOT “as good as it gets.”

Practical tip... focus on your wins.

Brooding over missed workouts and condemning yourself for crappy meals you ate won’t help matters. If you got 3 of 5 workouts done, give yourself an attagirl. Focus on the wins.

At Old Grad Strong, we're optimistic that making food, fitness, and function your priority will power the best years of your life.