As a mom of 3, I have come to realize that I learn a great deal from my kids. Here I am, the one who is supposed to do the teaching, yet there are times when I feel like I am the one doing most of the learning. Who would have ever thought a three-year-old would teach me a lesson on fighting temptation.

My son made me realize something the other evening after he attended his cousin’s birthday party. Ok, first you need to understand that I do not give my kids candy on a regular basis ( duh, this is a wellness blog). I do “allow” them to indulge on special occasions, holidays and I try to give them sweets without artificial crap in it (Have you checked out HunnyBon!?! YUM!!!.)

So the story goes like this – he grabbed his goodie bag and pulled out a small pack of sour gummy worms.
“Can I have these Mama” – son
“You had enough candy for the day. Maybe I’ll let you have some tomorrow” -me with an attitude
“Ok, can I just hold it in my pocket?” – son, hey you can’t blame him for trying to sharpen his negotiation skills
“Absolutely not!” -me, clearly knowing he is about to pitch a fit
“Please, I won’t eat them. I am just going to hold them, right here, in my pocket” – son with the puppy dog eyes
“The temptation is too high for you to have them in your pocket” -me with a light bulb popping over my head
“Tim who???” – confused 3 year old

Do you get where I am going with this story? Why surround yourself with something that might tempt you? We all have vices and we need to guard the weaker versions of ourselves. For example, if you are trying to drop a few pounds – don’t keep sodas, cookies, and junk food in the house. Try to fill your fridge with whole foods and nature’s candy, FRUIT! But, I know it’s not easy (like it wasn’t easy for me to keep those gummy worms from my son). I suggest:

1. Recognize your weakness
2. Focus on your goal
3. Surround yourself with things that will support your goal
4. Stay clear of things that will get you off course
5. Don’t beat yourself up if you “eat the gummy worms” once in a while

Stay the course and keep the gummy worms out of your pocket!
You know good and well the temptation is too high.