The Changes

So now that you know how I got started I will tell you a little about it how it affected me. One thing I would like to mention is that I am not unique in what happened to my body and mind. Other people I have read about have describe a very similar experience. The good news it also means anybody can do it regardless of size, age, "genetics", or what ever excuse you may have as to why you can't. You only have to have one thing to get started. The belief that you can. If you have that the hard work is easy.

So in deciding on my new life change I really wanted to "see what I was made of". One thing I noticed the most was how proud of myself I could feel and realizing there is no shame in pride. I don't know about the rest of you but I always seem to have the hardest time complimenting myself even if I am the only one listening. This new journey has taught me it is okay to like who you are and turns out when you like yourself more other people around seem to like you more too. Specifically, other people like your partner, your kids and your family. By no means am I speaking for everyone but I don't think I am completely alone in this thinking. This pride rarely came from my workouts, it came from being able to walk out the door and do what I so easily could have talked myself out of. There were so many days that was by far the hardest part of my workout. So for those of you who think everything always comes easy for someone else, it is probably not true. Everyone has self doubt and struggles you may not be able to see. Everyone who thinks it comes easy for me think again. There is nothing easy about getting up at 4:45am to be able to get your workout in before you have to get your family up, breakfast for everyone and then go to work. Wow, I feel exhausted just writing that. So you probably think I am full of shit when I say it makes my whole day goes better and I feel more energized when I drag myself out the door at the butt crack of dawn. On those mornings when I do talk myself out of my workout I feel sluggish and down on myself for the whole day (until I workout in the evening because I can't take the guilt, I think is some kind of lame Catholic thing lol).  The point I am trying to make is sometimes it helps when you feel like your not alone in your struggles. I used to think everyone had an easier time in life than me. They had an easier time being motivated, determined, and were way happier with their life than I was with mine. My guess is that is not the case and maybe others think that it comes easy for me. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I say capitalize on the strengths and recognize the weaknesses and then wrap those weaknesses up in a big bubble and send them on their marry way. It is okay to have weakness but don't let them define you. One of the biggest lessons I have learned is to not have my weaknesses be because of someone else's strengths. Compare your self to you and and only you or you may run the risk of having a nervous breakdown. Trust me I know this from experience.

The people reading this, who know me well, are probably shocked that I am putting my feelings out there for the world to see (because I know I am). I am not really the type of person to share my feelings or let others in on my little secret of insecurity, but here I am putting it out there for the world to read. This is not something I would have done 16 weeks ago. But now I have realized embracing your insecurities can be very powerful. The more you talk about them the weaker they get. They begin to lose their power over you.

Looking at the people who have inspired me to get started and to keep going has made me realize if I can inspire just one person to go after their dream then I will feel like it is been worth it to share my story.