WHY to Fitness

3 Ways to Overcome What’s Holding You Back

• Aaron O’Connell • Episode 13

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Prepare yourself to break free from the chains of procrastination and obstacles that are holding you back. As your guide on this journey, I promise to show you how to refocus your eyes on Jesus and not get distracted by the world. Learn how to shift your narrative from 'I can't' to 'I can', and experience the power of positive thinking as we unveil the teachings of the Bible in a new light. Let's walk through the process of overcoming hurdles, not by sheer willpower, but by focusing on what we desire, presenting our requests to God, and building a routine that includes Jesus.

The strength of a community and personal accountability cannot be underestimated in our walk with God. We'll dissect how the devil preys on the isolated and how a supportive community can fortify our faith. Drawing insights from Ecclesiastes 4, 9-12, we'll explore the power of unity and the importance of acting on the truth of God. Finally, we'll cut the ropes of distractions or addictions that are shackling us to stagnancy. Inspired by Paul's journey in Acts 27, we'll let go of false anchors and embrace a life of true freedom. So, are you ready to cut your ropes and pave your path to freedom?

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Aaron O'Connell:

God may actually be holding you back from achieving what you want to achieve, because he's protecting you from something that may bring you down.

Aaron O'Connell:

Where your eyes wander, your body follows. Be real with yourself. Know your weaknesses. We need to cut those ropes. We need to cut that option. Be away.

Aaron O'Connell:

Welcome back to the WHY to Fitness Podcast. I'm your host, Aaron O'Connell, and today we are talking about three ways to experience freedom from what's holding you back, because I know so many people are trying to achieve something, whether it be more fitness or get a better body, get closer to Christ, become something, but you don't know what to do. You don't know what's holding you back. So that's why I'm creating this podcast, and I'll just jump right in. And the very first one is you need to stay focused on what you want and not what you don't want. I've done a whole podcast on this, so I won't really nail it into the ground, but we need to focus on what we want and not what we don't want. And, as for us Christians, we need to stay focused on Jesus, not the world. You see, we can be in the right place, but be looking in the wrong direction. We could be doing all the right things. But if we're focused on the wrong reasons, we're not going to be achieving it. And there's an excellent example in Ezekiel 816. And that says Then he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's temple. At the entrance to the sanctuary, between the entry room and the bronze altar, there were about 25 men with their backs to the sanctuary of the Lord. They were facing east, bowing low to the ground, worshiping the sun. Here they are in the sanctuary, right up right in the temple, but their backs were to the sanctuary of the Lord and they were bowing to the worship and worshiping the sun. You can be in church but be looking in the wrong direction. You could be in the gym but be doing it for the wrong reasons. Have you ever thought about this? God may actually be holding you back from achieving what you want to achieve because he's protecting you from something that may bring you down. If you do go get that body you're looking for, if you do go get that job, if you do go achieve that goal that you're wanting to, you may get puffed up with pride and say, hey, that wasn't you Lord, that was all me. So he's just holding it back. You may be doing the right things but not achieving it because you're facing the wrong direction.

Aaron O'Connell:

Where your eyes wander, your body follows. Proverbs 4.25 says Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. This verse is telling us to keep our eyes focused on what's in front of us and not to let them wander, not to be doing things out of fear, not to be like oh, I'm doing this, to not be fat. Oh, I need to focus on not sinning, because what you focus on you get more of.

Aaron O'Connell:

Matthew 6.22 through 23 says the eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. What we focus on we get more of. As Tony Robbins says, energy flows where your attention goes. You need to be focused on what you want, not what you don't want. We need to walk in the power and truth. What do we know is the truth? Well, we know that Jesus is the truth in the life. Also, nehemiah said eight and Nehemiah 810 says the joy of the Lord is your strength. We need to flip the narrative from I can't to I can, or it's impossible to it's possible. Focus on the narrative. You're speaking over you, then you can start making the best decisions.

Aaron O'Connell:

Flip is 4-8 says what's focused on, what is true, what is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy. Think about such things. In the Christian world we can't be thinking about not sinning. Not sinning, that's that, that's getting too attached to the law, because that's not focusing on what's true, that's not focusing on what's noble or what's right. That's focusing on sin, even though you're saying don't do it, your body doesn't know don't. If you're saying, hey, don't eat this, don't eat junk, don't eat junk, don't eat carbs, don't eat all these things, guess what you're gonna be thinking of? You're gonna be thinking of those carbs.

Aaron O'Connell:

But instead we need to focus on what we want. We need to focus on the goal, or, as Paul says, we focus on the prize that is set forth before us. So focusing on anything else. Flip is 4-6 through 7 says be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So when we're trying to achieve something, present it to God, what we're trying to achieve. Then we'll get the peace. Then he will guard our mind and our hearts. Isaiah 26, 3 through 4, says you keep him in perfect peace. Who mind has stayed on you? Because he trusts in you, trust in the Lord forever. For the Lord, god, is an everlasting rock.

Aaron O'Connell:

We need to focus on what we want more of and as Christians, we need to focus on Jesus. When we focus on Jesus, we stop doing the things that are holding us back and we need to create a routine. So we Purposely choose Jesus, so we purposely choose the result that we want. You can't just say, hey, I want a better body, start working out once, but never really make it a routine and expect anything. You can't expect to be living more Righteously when you don't have a routine of prayer, when you don't have a routine of reading the Bible, when you don't have a routine of Gathering around others. So that very first point is to stay focused on what you want, not what you don't want. But that also leads me right into the second Point. We need to surround ourselves with God fearing Christians. We need to surround ourselves with people who are doing what we want to do.

Aaron O'Connell:

James 5 16 says therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed, because the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. When we want to achieve something, when we are going through something and we know what's holding us back, whether it be the Desserts in the pantry, whether it be this of the hidden sin we need to bring that about in the forefront, into the light. Because the Bible says we need to boast about our weaknesses because God's power is made Perfect. Well, who are we boasting to? What is boasting? Boasting is an over Exaltation of something like you're taking massive pride in it. We need to boast about it. Well, we need to boast in our weaknesses because that's where God's power is made perfect. Go and let me just challenge you for something. If you keep going around to everybody and say, hey, I got no self-control, I only eat the, the, all these desserts. Oh, I just can't bring myself to work out. And you just keep saying that and saying that, all of a sudden you're gonna start being really convicted big. Oh wait, wait a minute, I have no power. This is pathetic. That's leaving God out of it. But if you keep on boasting to the right people and you surround yourself with God-fearing Christians, those that are walking the path, they're gonna breathe life into you.

Aaron O'Connell:

Proverbs 27 17 says as iron shepherds iron, so one person sharpens another. Ecclesiastes 4, 9 through 12 says two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. You, I'll stop right there. Because when we're eating what we're not supposed to, when we're doing that hidden sin, what are we doing? We're falling alone, and that person who's falling alone is in real trouble. We tend to hide. When we do what we don't supposed to be doing, we tend to shut off. But we know that the devil's roaming around like a lion looking for someone to devour. That's a singular person. When we're with others we're much stronger, but when we're alone, that's when the devil likes to come in and just insert those little lies in your head. But that's why we need that routine and focus, like I said in point one, and focus on the truth, the word, and get into that routine of reading the Bible and praying. But to continue with the Ecclesiastes, it says likewise two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back and back and conquer. And three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.

Aaron O'Connell:

You need to surround yourself with community. You need to start walking the walk, because mommy and daddy can't get you to heaven Just because they were Christians and they instilled things into you. You need that, your own walk. Just they can. You can't sit there and get to heaven and say, um, my mom and dad were saved and they, you know, I know of the truth. Well, good for you. Even the devils and the end, all this demons, know that God and Jesus are Lord, that Jesus died for our sins to save the world. They knew that from the beginning and they shudder in fear. The Bible says you need your own walk because even lot was walking with Abraham and kept on walking with Abraham, but he strayed, he chose. He chose Sodom and Gomorrah, the land of all that looked so much better. You can walk with men and women that walk with God, but you need your own walk. You need to get into that routine, like point one says, and I'll give you a personal example.

Aaron O'Connell:

I myself, I struggled with pride, like we all do, and I for about eight months and in the beginning of this year maybe it was about the end of last year and the beginning of this year I was really struggling. I was asking myself why don't I love like I need to love? Why aren't I doing the things that I know would help so many people, like starting this podcast? Why don't I love my mom the way that I should? When she wakes up, she does all these things. Why don't I do things for her so it can ease her burden? I have a daughter. Why am I sitting here and going? I don't want to play Barbies. I don't want to do play, though I don't want to take the time to just sit there and hear her struggle over reading. I was asking these questions of myself here.

Aaron O'Connell:

I am a Christian, or a so-called Christian, saying I want to love, but I'm not doing the things that we'll love. Yes, I could look around and say, oh, I'm part of the church, I, I, I lead groups. When someone calls me and they need a move or they need help, I'm right there. But everything I did always made me feel better. It was all about me, me leading the groups. Why did I do that? Because it gave me prestige in the church, made me feel good, made me feel important. Why was I reading the Bible so deeply? Because then it helped me become that Pharisee that would be like, oh, look at me, I know so much, but I wasn't practicing the very things. I practiced some of it, but not all of it, and that's where it led me to the last part I needed to die to. And the way that that happened was I started getting creating those routines and I was around those people. I started asking those questions and in a small group of men that I would then be meeting with some of my closest guy friends and they would say things like hey, aaron, haven't you noticed that you don't do anything unless it directly benefits you? Right away, I didn't do anything, even when I was working out and I turned pro. I did that so I would feel okay, so others would look at me better. It was all about me. I wasn't doing anything unless it benefited me.

Aaron O'Connell:

And so often Christians are doing that as well. They follow God, they follow Jesus, only because it makes them feel good. They make them feel better about themselves, they love more about what God can do for them, but more than what they can do for God. They're the first person to be like, oh, I don't want to pray for anybody, or I don't want to pray over the meal. They're hesitant of sharing the gospel, the good news. Why? Because they have all this hidden sin. They're harboring all this crap. It's the same thing is when you get around, why people will be hesitant to hire a coach. It's when they're trying to become more fit, because then they have to be truly honest with themselves about the crap that they're eating, about the things that they're not doing.

Aaron O'Connell:

When I was a coach, I would have so many people be logging their food when they're good, when they're eating what they were supposed to or what they knew they ought, but the moment they went off rails they wouldn't. They would log it and I couldn't even help them then. I had no idea how they were falling off or any of that. We need to really boast about our weaknesses, because when we confess our weaknesses to others, then we are being healed. We go to God for forgiveness, but we go to God's body, the ecclesia, the church, for healing, because then you can talk to them about your hurts and all of a sudden. Wow, I didn't know that I'm not the only one. You struggle with that too. I thought you had your life put together. We need to surround ourselves with people that are chasing after the same thing.

Aaron O'Connell:

But back to me, where I actually experienced that freedom. It was actually a little progression. I got into the routine, I was doing the prayers, I was stuck. I smoked weed for 20 years, over 20 years, and I was stuck. Any time that I would not be doing what I needed to do, any time that I would feel depressed or anxious or anything, I'd go right to marijuana, whatever it was. So what did I do? I finally got over it. I was like you know what? I'm going to make a prayer journal. I'm going to get into this routine and I just started praying to God make me hate it, make me hate marijuana, make me hate it so much that I hate the feeling that I can't even withstand the smell.

Aaron O'Connell:

And slowly but surely, I hated being high. The comfort that it gave me of being okay with doing nothing faded and now I hated being high and I had no comfort, but I couldn't do the very things that I wanted to do. Then, all of a sudden I started getting headaches because I was focused on what I wanted, not what I didn't want. I wanted the peace. Then, through that, god starts showing up and he started telling me things. He was like hey, no one cares what you can do, they only care what you've done. And this kind of hit me hard because I know I've studied so much, I've sharpened my blade so much that, but forgot to swing it that I was cutting myself over and over and over again. No one cares about your potential, they care about what you're doing. That's what they put their trust in. They want a leader that's already been put in front of them. And this hurt me, but not enough.

Aaron O'Connell:

Then, the next little bit, when I was seeking God, he said hey, aaron, you're not that special, you've just been called. But that requires you to pick up the phone daily to get into that routine. And it's not about you being in the routine, because there's no power in routines, but it's about you pick. It's about him actually being the one that called you, not you picking up the phone. You need to get to that. Next level is what I was hearing. And I wasn't special.

Aaron O'Connell:

I would look around at all these fitness accounts, looking at all these things and being like, wow, how do they have 300,000 followers? I look into it and they're pushing blast for me. They're making food and idle, they're making workouts, be their saviors, but then they put a little scripture on there. Or they're like, oh, look at me, I'm on hormones and all this stuff. Look at my body. You can have this too. God will help you. Just focus on God. And it was all about self and I'm like but they have all these followers. God, he's like you're not that special. You've just been called, but you need to pick up that phone and speak the message that I put into your heart. But it didn't stop there, because that didn't, that still didn't get me.

Aaron O'Connell:

And then, all of a sudden, I was in a small group with other Christians focusing on that. That's point number two, being in that community. And here I am speaking about all these things that I've done, all these things that I've gotten, but yet I haven't pulled the trigger and started. And it started making me feel so stupid. I felt. I felt I felt retarded saying this, but I always said something and I said it then and I always was said this my whole entire life.

Aaron O'Connell:

I was like you know, the moment I move my finger and do the right thing the water's part I have favor. I can do so much little than everyone else and get so much more. And then God spoke to me when I left that, that small group and I was when I was driving, I don't even remember the drive. God met me there and he said, aaron, that's the last part you need to die to. That's the last part you need to die to, that identity that you can do so much less than everyone else and get more, even though, if it may be true that at the moment you start doing something right the water's part and you get rewarded tenfold, that's the part you need to die to. And that was the part that was holding me back. That's why I procrastinated, that's why I didn't do the hard work, that's why I wasn't loving the way that I should, because if I did do the work, if I was doing the thing, I couldn't walk around and say I do so much less and get so much more, and that destroyed me. That's when I really moved on and that's when I cut the ties and cut the ropes to have no option B and that's my third point To cut the ropes, cut what's holding you back and have no option B. And this comes from Acts 27. When Paul was being a prisoner on his way to Rome, but he was on that ship and he got caught in a storm, and it was on the 14th night. This is Acts 27, 27,.

Aaron O'Connell:

On the 14th night, we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when, about midnight, the sailors since they were approaching land they took surroundings and found the water was 120 feet deep. A short time later, they took surroundings again and found it was 90 feet deep. Fearing that they would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. I'll stop right there, notice. They were fearful that they were going to screw up. They were fearful that something bad was going to happen. They were starting to see that they were going towards this goal and something's off. They noticed that they always are going into the deserts. They noticed they stopped working out. They noticed that it becomes all about their selfish selves and they don't like it, so they stop. They noticed that some impeding disaster was going to happen, so they lowered the anchors Because they were fearful Verse 30, in an attempt to escape from the ship.

Aaron O'Connell:

The sailors let the lifeboats down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. And Paul said to the centuries and the soldiers unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved. So the soldiers cut the ropes and held the lifeboat and let it drift away. We need to cut those ropes. So many of us are pretending to anchor into Christianity, pretending to anchor into what they're trying to achieve. They're pretending to want to get to the better body, to want to be healthy, because they know that's what they ought to do, but they're holding on to the things that are holding them back. They're keeping a lifeboat and pretending they're anchoring in.

Aaron O'Connell:

We need to cut those ropes. We need to cut that option. Be away and let that drift away, whatever that needs to be like. We need to stop being weak. We need to cut the ropes. Cut the ropes off your vape, cut the ropes off your alcohol, cut the ropes off your addictions. Cut the rope off the music that is pouring into your brain, that makes you of this world. We need to cut those ropes, cut those chains and stop pretending you can't be walking and listening to all this bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep music and celebrating yourself and the world and then walk into church, hallelujah, pretending. We need to cut the ropes on backsliding. Be real with yourself. Know your weaknesses.

Aaron O'Connell:

Some people may be able to handle it, but, say, alcohol, some people may be able to have one glass of wine Once a week, twice a week, whatever, and it's okay. But if you know that you just touch or merely have it in your house, you go off the handles. You can't handle it. Stop touching it. Some people can't listen to music that will put them into the spot of when they were sinning, when they were far from God. If that's you, then you can't listen to that country music. You only can listen to Christian music. Stop touching what's holding you back.

Aaron O'Connell:

We need to cut those ties. If you're in lust, if you're in porn, whatever it is, give them. Put covenant eyes on your phone, get somebody else to confess your sins, to Put blocks in front of yourself If you know you're only going and fornicating with the opposite sex outside of marriage because when you're drinking in the club, stop going to the club. Stop doing the very things that are holding you back. Cut those ties on options B. But unfortunately in fitness. Option B seems to always be there until time runs out and we have to blame it on age. Oh well, if I just have this right now, it won't be too bad. I was okay. Oh, I don't really have to work out. It was cool at first, but you know, I can just go back. I was happy.

Aaron O'Connell:

And they're lying to themselves. They're keeping that lifeboat there. But it's really not the lifeboat, it's the fake lifeboat of the world. And then, all of a sudden, they get the 30, 40, 50 and they have all these diseases. They have all these illnesses. They have cancer, they can't lose the fat like they used to, they have thyroid disease, their menopause goes off crazy. Why? Because they just wanted to keep that lifeboat there to that old self.

Aaron O'Connell:

We need to cut those ties. We need to cut those ties. We need to burn them Like Acts 19, 19, when Jesus left and everyone was talking and they're like you know what? We need to bring our books. Those who practice magic brought their books together and burned them all night and they counted the values over 50,000 pieces of silver. We need to burn what is holding us back. We need to cut the ropes on those websites. Cut the rope on the sex before marriage. Cut the rope on your drinking. Cut the rope on your cigarettes. Cut the rope on cussing. Cut the rope on anything that is holding you back.

Aaron O'Connell:

You cannot anchor in and call yourself a Christian. That's chasing after God's heart when you hold this harboring sin. You can't say and be taken seriously that you want to achieve some type of health or fitness in your life, but always, constantly, be going into alcohol on the weekends with all these crappy food and you don't even know what you need, you don't even pay attention. You're just following patterns of this world instead of being transformed by the renewing of your mind, instead of putting yourself around others that know what they're doing, that aren't just talking and pointing to yourself as self, because as Christians, we know we can't be all about self. We need to be about God.

Aaron O'Connell:

So we need to figure out how to achieve what we want to achieve in a Christian way that goes according to the Bible, or else God's either going to be saying, hey, I'm not going to allow that to happen because I care about you so much, or he's just going to let the devil take you because that's what you wanted, because that's all you're focusing on because you're keeping that second option, that third option. We need to cut those ties. We can't sit here and be on social media and be like you know what I got this boyfriend, this girlfriend, this husband and your wife. But I know I get so much attention because I flaunt this and I flaunt this. I have all these options until, all of a sudden, you're old and gray and you're lonely or you realize that no one trusts you because you lack trust.

Aaron O'Connell:

We need to set ourselves free and cut those ties. And how do we do that? We put ourselves around other people that are chasing after what we are chasing. And how do we do then? Do that? We focus on what we want and not what we don't want, and this is how we achieve freedom, freedom, freedom. Who the sun sets free is free. Indeed, and that's what I want for all my listeners right now is for y'all to be in freedom. If you don't know how to walk in freedom, if you don't have a community that's surrounding you, then hit me up, message me on all my social media. Y2 Fitness W-H-Y-T-O Fitness. Send me an email, erin at Y2 Fitness. Go on my website Y2 Fitness, and I will help you personally reach out to you. I will call you, I will zoom call with you, whatever it takes to get you to where you want to go, where you need to go, where true freedom lies. Thank you so much for listening. This is the Y2 Fitness Podcast. I'm Aaron O'Connell and I will see you on the next episode.

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