Make the choice

Is it possible that we get so busy living our lives that we never ask ourselves am I where I want to be? Some may know the answer to this, but many of us are left puzzled. Have we never really paused long enough to think about the question?

For example…the person who weighs 400 pounds. The person who spends every night at the bar. The person who spends every extra penny at the casino. What got them there? What will get them out? What have they been searching for the entire time? The answer is out there, even if it is not where they are lookng. The answer is out there for you and me as well.

This the good news. We don’t have to stay where we are. We can choose to look in the mirror. We can choose to be honest. If you can’t be honest with the person staring back at you, you can’t be honest with anyone. Ask the question….what makes me happy? Where do I find joy? Am I where I want to be? Take a few steps back and look at your situation. Ask a friend you trust for their opinion. Get a good clear picture. If you aren’t there yet, knowing what you want is the first step.

This quote is one of my favorites:

There is a giant asleep within every man. When the giant awakes, miracles happen. — Frederick Faust

I have been actively trying to prod my own giant of late. Having gone through cancer last year my body has not been in the best of shape. While I have been cancer free for 18 months now, my 41 year old body seemed stuck. I was having a hard time shaking the extra weight I had put on. I was heavier than I had been in…almost ever. I wasn’t healing as fast as I needed to. I just felt rough all over. I had to take a look in the mirror and ask myself some hard questions.

Was it the cancer that had me feeling this way? Was I just a victim to chemotherapy and it’s affects on the body? Was I really stuck? The answer that came back to me? No. This was my fault.

My choices had to change. Sure, chemo and other meds did a job on my body, but I wasn’t giving it every opportunity it needed to get better. My choice to eat whatever I wanted and drink more than I should wasn’t helping. My choice to not be consistent in my exercise wasn’t good either. The cancer left it’s mark, but I was the one to blame here.

The solution? I took my power to choose back. In September of this year I committed to following an eating and exercise program. I don’t call it a diet because I am not dieting. I have chosen to be different with my lifestyle. I use a calorie counter now and stick to a reasonable calorie limit. I intermittently fast. I have a workout routine I follow. I have completed 17 weeks now without missing. I have lost 25 pounds in four months. Truth be told, I am mad at myself for not finding the honesty and chutzpah to do all of this sooner.

When we start being honest about where we are, we can begin to take steps in the right direction. With each step we take, we make choices. These choices can lead to the miracle that Faust was describing.

Are your choices taking you toward the life you want? Or further away? Make the choice today to wake up the giant. Make the choice to do something great.