"You don't have to like it."

And this from the "Things I Said to My Kid That Came Back to Bite Me" department...

Kiwi's a reluctant eater at mealtimes, so one of the things I've started saying when she busts out with the "But I don't liiiiiiiiike [insert food here]" whine is, "That's okay! You don't have to like it--you just need to eat it." I use my best Kindergarten Teacher/Mary Poppins voice when I say it, which is probably extra-annoying, too.

So the other day, we're driving to preschool and we pass a Burger King. Keira says, "Mom, you and Daddy should take me to Burger King one of these days, because they have SpongeBob Squarepants water toys there!" (Note to self: no good can come of venturing from commerical-free PBS Kids.)

I said, "Ehh, I don't know about that, Sweetie. Mommy doesn't really like Burger King."

Her reply, of course: "Well, you don't have to like it, Mom. You just have to take me there!"

Boo-yah. I got told by a four-year-old.

It's good wisdom, though, really, and I've been trying to take it to heart when it comes to summoning the willpower to do Jillian Michaels' "30-Day Shred" DVD every day. I've never, ever stuck to a workout or diet regimen before, and part of the reason is that it's hard for me...and when something is hard for me, for some reason I assume that it's ONLY hard for me, and that it's a breeze for all those people who get up before dawn to go running and then survive on salad all day long. But the other day, I ran across this quote:

"Being overweight is hard. Losing weight is hard. Maintaining a healthy weight is hard. Choose your hard."

And for some reason, combined with the "You don't have to like it" mantra, something occurred to me that should have been pretty obvious all along: nobody likes working out. Nobody takes great joy out of opting for healthy foods in the face of cookies, brownies, or Del Taco. (Okay, I'm sure a few people do, but they're definitely the minority!) Those people I see out jogging every day, or the teachers who don't eat five bite-size Twix during a one-hour meeting just because they're sitting there (ahem...), don't enjoy it any more than I do. It's not easier for them than it is for me.

They just do it anyway. And so can I.

"You don't have to like it" and "Choose your hard" have turned out to be really handy phrases in all sorts of situations. Bear's sister has declared 2011 "The Year of the BGP (Big-Girl Panties)" for her, and that's another good one for self-motivation. My life isn't particularly difficult, and we here at the Bears' Den have a ton to be grateful for, but sometimes, like Kiwi at the dinner table, I just need a little coaxing to do the things I know I should do.

Does this mean I won't be face-first in a piece of ice cream cake tonight when my family comes over? No way. I do have to like ice cream cake. Turning down ice cream cake is hard. I'll totally wear my big-girl panties while I'm eating it, though, and Jillian will make me pay double for it tomorrow!