Money for Nothing

It would be easy to think I'm a pretty lucky guy.  Today, I won an all-expenses cruise and the caller was even kind enough to leave that message on my voicemail.  That makes about five cruises so far this year!  It seems everyone wants your money and they'll try any means to get it.  The weight-loss industry, in my opinion, is a huge money-making business and it seems like everywhere I turn, there is someone making an incredible claim for proven success, all of which comes with an equally incredible price tag.  Even this morning, an email from one of the so-called weight-loss experts offered me a free video on how to achieve killer abs.  That sounded tempting enough, but I soon discovered that my free video was a 21-minute informercial on an ab program that I could purchase for forty bucks.  There wasn't one free tip in my free video.  I wasn't even getting a book, it was an online tutorial.  If I wanted the book,  I had to cough up twenty more.  It made me stop and think about how many times I've heard claims about the greatest thing in weight loss.  There have been hundreds and hundreds of such claims that show up everywhere and there will be hundreds and hundreds more.  When you're overweight and feeling pretty lousy about it, you would likely do anything or likely try anything.  There is a huge need out there and there are plenty of those out there who want to take full advantage of it.  It makes me question the validity of so much that is out there.  Basically, to deal with the issue of our own weight, it requires effort over time.  There are plenty of weight-loss products out there and I admit to trying a few and I admit to achieving some success.  There are even some that I would represent, but the last thing I would do is take advantage of someone's vulnerability by chasing the dollar in the matter of someone's struggle.  For me, I'm on a path of discovery.  I want to educate myself on good eating, good exercise, and making sense of what's up in your head.  I see the journey I'm on as involving the mind, body, and spirit and I'm happy to share what I know with those around me, or even those who want to know more themselves.  I want to create a community of individuals who are committed to their wellness and committed to one another and that doesn't have to cost one red cent.  We can all learn from one another.  If we feel we want to put out a little money for nutritional or fitness guidance, that's one thing, but to be lured into the promise of one quick fix for one fixed price is hardly my definition of responsible.  I'm standing for something greater here.  There's no luck invloved in taking care of myself and no message in my inbox will convince me that there is a better and easier way of achieving my goals for just one magic price.  That just sounds like a whole lot of money for nothing.  Let's do this right.