Have you ever had one of those experiences where you thought you knew what was going on? Where you were certain how the world works? Only to find out later you didn’t know the topic at all? Yeah, I have had some realizations over the past 69 days that feel just like that.

First, I have believed, for sometime that I need to read more, but that there wasn’t enough time in the day. I had so many other competing priorities, I just couldn’t take the time to get this one done. False.

Over the past 69 days I have read six books and I’m in the process of reading three others. I had to find the way that it worked for me. Audiobooks are where it’s at. I no longer have an excuse.

Second, you can actually lose weight while eating food you like. I don’t know why I struggled with this for so many years. Just because it tastes good doesn’t mean you have to eat a ton of it. Also, you can still get full and stay within calories. This may not be ground shaking from any of you, but it blows my mind.

The last epiphany I will share today is around working out. For a long time I thought I had to lift the heaviest things and kill myself to get in shape. Nope. I need to lift enough to push myself, but I have nothing strength wise to prove. Slow and steady will maintain what I have and keep me strong.

Progress really is predicated on seeing things clearly and executing on what actually is. As I have demystified these hazy areas, I have found success. It makes me want to work even harder to find more success.

This really is getting fun.

I spent a lot of years joking that the mirror hated me or that the scales were off. I weighed more than I was comfortable with and, instead of addressing it, I made excuses and tried to joke it away. But, it only got worse.

The old example of boiling a frog comes to mind here. Apparently, if you put a frog in hot water, it will jump out. However, if you put it in cold water, and slowly raise the temperature, it will boil to death and not know it. I did not realize how uncomfortable I had become because it happened over a long period of time.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew what I needed to do. I knew that I had to take progressive steps to overcome this issue in my life. However, I was unwilling to do so for quite some time. That all changed 68 days ago.

I am currently down 29 pounds since September 12. There hasn’t been any magic. I started counting calories, and watching my macros. Along with this, I have maintained a very steady exercise routine.

The things I’ve been doing are not complex. They are consistent. That has made all the difference. It took me a long time to gain the weight. I expect it to take a while to get into the shape I want to be. That is OK.

The mirror and the scale are truth tellers. From here on out, I want to live in the truth. It is the better way to be.

It is day 67 and I am wrestling with something. I have been achieving the goals on my list. I have made great strides in my health and in my learning. However, should I be doing more?

The beauty of the list that I wrote is it is keeping me accountable. For 67 days now I have accomplished each to do item I have written down. But…part of me is still unsatisfied. I can feel there is more to be done, but what?

The hard part of setting goals is choosing what they should be. I had the seven goals currently on the List picked out for weeks before I started. I knew inside that these were the things that I wanted to accomplish, so when it was time to start I set out with a fire.

Knowing that something else needs to be added is driving self examination. So, what am I going to add to the list? I’m not there yet, but! I am setting a deadline. By this coming Sunday I will know what my options are and will choose what needs to be added. The deadline has worked for my other tasks. I expect it to work for this one too.

This is my stake in the sand. I know there is more to be done. I intend to find it.

I am having a hard time believing it is November 16. Where has the year gone? It seem like just a moment ago I was performing in a summer musical and now we have been talking about Christmas gifts and making sure all of our holiday plans are set.

While I am amazed at how fast the year has gone, I am very happy with the tie of year that is approaching. Yes, I am happy about Christmas, but I am thinking of Thanksgiving. A time for rest and to be with my family. A time to reflect on all the good things that God has given us. It is an overlooked holiday, but it is one of my favorites.

Do you remember when no stores were open on Thanksgiving day? It seems like forever ago, but it really was true. You would drive around town and it was quiet. There were folks at the convenience store trying to get last minute items, but no one at Walmart or any other of the big stores.

Then, early the next morning you would go get in line and Black Friday would commence. I used to love Black Friday. I would be up by four and out the door for the stores to open around 5. I was able to secure some really good deals for a while. Then, they went and messed it up. I saw people camping on Thanksgiving day last year in front of a Best Buy. Nothing says being thankful like trying to be the first one to buy a TV for 100 bucks off.

All of this to say, I now observe Thanksgiving week like the old days…in the quiet of our home. We fix an awesome meal and have a movie marathon. We laugh and enjoy and spend time as a family. I absolutely love that. I can shop any old time. This is the stuff that can’t be replaced.

I was in the gym recently and overheard a conversation. Two guys were talking about life being hard and how times were tough. The first guy was extremely frustrated. He was dejected. He needed an ear. The second guy listened patiently and provided sage advice.

We were in the middle of the gym, but it was a great example of someone taking time to listen to the problems of another and encourage them where they were. They also threw around heavy weights and had a good time with general banter.

I really appreciate how the second guy took time right where he was. He didn’t put it off. He didn’t find it odd. He saw a friend that needed encouragement and he met him there. They talked. The lifted. They cussed. They were being real right there in the middle of the gym.

This is the person I try to be as well. I am convinced that there are tons of people frustrated and in pain all around us. They need us to listen. They need someone to see where they are coming from. They need a friend, but don’t know how to ask for one. I want to be that friend.

I smiled when I overheard the guys at the gym. It was real. It was real good too.