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.

Hope makes the heart tingle. It energizes as it moves in.

It makes its way across the body and it spreads throughout your limbs.

Lungs that were dusty breathe in fresh and deep.

Your brain waves start moving as the giant awakes from its sleep.

Purpose now in view, destiny not far behind.

The eyes of your soul are no longer blind.

So breath in the air and bask in the warmth of the sun.

Your future is calling. Your winter is done.

What started as a spark has fanned into a flame.

Purpose has remade you. You have a new name.

A body once useless has found its glory once again.

Hope has brought life to the future of the man.

I wrote this several years ago. I found it tonight and have no idea where I was going with the story. It seemed fun and worth sharing.

“Time chases us all…and one day catches us,” he said to me as we sat at the bar. “We don’t notice it when we are young because our legs are strong and our steps are light.” The old man paused for a second to take a drink.

“As we age the grasp of time tugs at our ankles. It trips us and we start to stumble. We are not able to move as fast as we once did.” A remorse lay deep in his eyes as he spoke these words. “As we age further we reach the point where time has crawled like a bandit on to our backs. It weighs us down and seeks to steal the life we live.” He paused again, savoring the flavor of his last drink.

“It’s weight becomes so unbearable that we eventually break. We fall to the ground…and our time is gone on this earth.” His eyes were misty. Time was indeed catching up to him. His tired old eyes had seen many hard days I was sure.

Then, he turned and faced me. A wry smile coming across his worn face. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man. I wasn’t sure if he was drunk or just depressed.

“But what if we could step outside of the reach of time?” he asked me quite seriously.

“Suspended in space where time could not touch us?” In a flash, his face began to look younger. Vibrancy filled his tired body. “To a place that never grows old, but is new with life every day?” He saw the puzzled look on my face, and I saw the earnest in his eyes.

In a matter of minutes the old man that stood before me was gone. I sat mesmerized at the man now before me. His hands were strong. He was tall in stature. His eyes burned with fire.

“There is such a place,” he said as he took a step closer to me. “I have been there many times.” He offered me his hand as a light started to glow about him. “I would like to take you there if you are willing to go with me.”

With no thought in my mind, but what was before me I took his hand. He pulled me slowly to my feet. And in a moment I will never forget, he took me to a place I have always wanted to be. A place that was designed for me. He took me home.

Verse 1

The sun is shining through my window. I can feel its sting on my arm. The radio is up, music blasting, I’m singing the words to every song. There you are beside me, bare feet on the dash blonde hair blowing in the wind We are racing down the interstate ready to see what’s hiding around the bend.

Chorus

It’s a good day, riding with my baby, Pedal to the floor and the road flying by. There is no other place that I’d rather be heading than down this road with my baby by my side.

Verse 2

Out here on this road there is nothing that can stop us, nothing in our way blocking our path. It’s just you and me out here with our freedom, driving hand in hand, hoping the day will last.

Chorus

It’s a good day, riding with my baby, Pedal to the floor and the road flying by. There is no other place that I’d rather be heading than down this road with my baby by my side.

Bridge

Though the day is getting late, we just keep on driving, as fast as we can, so happy to be alive

Chorus

It’s a good day, riding with my baby, Pedal to the floor and the road flying by. There is no other place that I’d rather be heading than down this road with my baby by my side.

I thought this Christmas might be a bit bittersweet. My boy is 11 and he learned the truth about Santa this year. Part of me is still in disbelief that he made it this long believing in Santa, but it was still a very hard conversation this year when we told him. He took it hard, but in his typical fashion he bounced back rather quickly.

One of the things I love about this boy (there are too many to count! I love this boy 3000!) is that he is not overly focused on presents. He loves opening them as much as any kid, but he has never been big on demanding specific gifts at Christmas time. As a matter of fact, he seems to enjoy giving the gifts as much as receiving them. He bought my wife and I both presents this year with his own, earned, money. He had such a big heart. I am so thankful for that!

As I was saying, I had a feeling that this time around would be bittersweet. He has written a letter to Santa every year. He always pulls out the milk and treat. Over the past several years he had been leaving out veggies instead of cookies. In his opinion, Santa has enough cookies to be getting on with. He also would leave carrots out for the reindeer.

So, every year I would go in and, like a good Santa, drink the milk, eat the treat, and put the carrots back in the fridge. I gnawed the carrots down one year to make it look like they’d been eaten by the reindeer, but then I watched the Santa Clause 2 movie and Santa made a good point that the Reindeer would eat them whole and wouldn’t leave any behind…so I never did that again. I also wrote back to him every year reassuring him that he had been a good boy throughout the year. With those things complete, we would put out the one gift from Santa (all the other gifts he got were from Mom and Dad).

On Christmas morning there was always excitement that Santa had come. He was always pleased that the milk and treats were gone and that Santa had written back to him on his letter. Then he always turned his attention to our family stuff.

He surprised me tonight. He set out milk and fudge with a note that said “Santa, I love you.” He had told us he was going to set out the treats. He didn’t tell me about the note. There was nothing bitter about this evening.

He doesn’t have to wait on Santa anymore. That’s ok. Now, he knows the truth….and he still believes in the magic of the season. I love this boy!