As human beings we struggle with certain thought patterns and behavior patterns that we learned from our parents or other people that we look up to. Since these thought patterns are so infused into our minds, we never stop to think that there may be another way to see a particular situation or to accomplish a particular goal.

Several years ago, Apple Computer had a simply brilliant two-word slogan: "Think Different"

It seems that it's about time for many of us to begin to "think different" about health, fitness, diet, and time management. Most people live their lives with all sorts of goals that they never attain (such as weightloss). In many cases I'm convinced that we are simply in need of some basic mental reprogramming.

Albert Einstein (a man well known for thinking different) said: "The world we've created is a result of the level of thinking we've done thus far and it produces problems, the solution to which does not exist at the same level of thinking."

We need a new level of thinking. We need to think different.

Let me give you a couple of simple examples of how "thinking different" about some normal day to day activities can have a dramatic effect on your health and waistline.

We have been programmed to THINK that the more convenient a thing is the better it is. So when you or I head over to the local mall, Wally-World or the grocery store, we spend several extra minutes fighting traffic and jockeying for position to get a parking spot that is as close to the front door as possible. After all, that's the "best spot." Parking there will get us from the car to the store the fastest (or so we think) and with the least possible amount of walking. But is that really better?

I'm always amazed when I think about how silly we humans really are. We spend the entire day doing all we can to avoid walking or any other unnecessary physical activity. Then we pay $50 each month to join a gym so that they can walk on a treadmill. Doesn't that seem a bit odd?

We all know that walking is beneficial. We know it will burn fat. Everyone knows it's good for the heart. We know that it increases our respiration, clears the mind and eases stress. Yet, when it comes time to park the car we forget all about these things because we've been taught that the best place to park is the spot closest to the front door so that we don't "have to walk."

So we struggle and strain to get that perfect parking spot and in the process we waste away precious minutes that we will never get back again. We could have simply parked at the far end of the lot (where no one else parks), walked to the front door and gotten started on our shopping before those who are fighting for the best spot have even gotten out of their cars. But our paradigm of parking (and walking) doesn't allow us to see it that way. We want to get the "best spot" and we certainly don't want to "have to walk."

Guys and girls, here's the bottom-line. It's not about "having to walk." It's about GETTING TO WALK.

We need a new perspective. We need to begin to think different.

The world around us is truly is a gym. Think about that next time you pull into the Stuff-Mart parking lot or the next time you have the opportunity to choose between riding an elevator or taking the stairs. People pay good money to walk on stairs that take them nowhere, when we could be walking real stairs for free.