What Will YOU Do With YOUR EXTRA Day...?

Jan 02, 2012

Hey folks! Happy New Year, and my I also say, Happy Leap Year!!!  I sat and thought long and hard on how to start my New Year off, and  I laughed.  I am spending that extra day today, just communicating with all the wonderful folks I am getting to know, here on Obesity Help.

For many of you who have been following my journey, I really do try to keep my blog up to date, and I ALWAYS make every effort to respond to EVERY comment & email I receive.  I guess my mother would have been proud of me, I try to think of others, and frankly, I guess I do play well with others.  It has taken me three hours to catch up with folks, and I am NOT done, I still have to respond to comments on my blog - to which, THANK YOU!  Getting support requires giving support - mark that one down if you haven't already.  Maybe the Golden Rule actually hit home at an early age, all I know is that I will never hurt anyone, intentionally - and if I have hurt anyone, I will do whatever I can to remedy that situation.  Now, on with the never ending saga of Brenda, the Happy Honu (Sea Turtle)...

December 30th, 2011, I swam my 500th mile in Federal Way, Washington.  If I had swam to Yreka, California, I would still have four more miles to go before I saw 500 miles.  If I swam North 500 miles, I could travel (theoretically) over the Caribou Highway almost into Chilanko Forks, British Columbia, Canada.  Had I swam East, I would have left Washington, breezed through upper Idaho, and made my way between Missoula & Deer Lodge Montana.  That my friends, is a wonderful journey, even if most of it was in Federal Way, Washington.  The funny thing is, I still know I could have walked further in the amount of time it took me to swim 500 miles, so maybe that will make a good goal for me to achieve in 2012?

If you are just starting your weight loss journey or someone in the middle of it, I want you to think of goals for a moment.  Sure, seeing a certain number on the scale or on the tag in your clothing is one way to show how far you have come, it just makes it more interesting, and sometimes a little easier to have "other" goals to achieve.  Every Non-Scale Victory I have realized has made me a little happier than just when I saw the scale moving in the right direction.  The first time I was able to pick up the soap in my standing shower stall without opening the door was amazing.  I actually keep adding more goals to my life, just to make me realize how truly far I have come in my journey.  Make the trip fun, make the trip challenging, but above all else, make the journey toward better health.

For many of us, regret is a tough thing to swallow.  As a young, fat girl, I tried to live my life with few regrets, which may seem odd to many of you.  But, look at it this way, I had so much optimism as a child, I did not let my weight keep me from living.  Sadly, my biggest regret is my weight.  Sure, we all have worked on achieving a certain size or weight, but somewhere along the way, we got stuck.  Getting unstuck is the true measure of how strong you are - inside and out.  When I finally opened my eyes to how out of shape I was (Round is a shape...), I realized it was going to take a long time to get back into the shape I preferred.  Being able to physically do what I once did with ease, it is well, amazing.  I have a long way to go, but with every day I spend working toward enjoying life, I celebrate.  So, I toot my horn, I am one more year closer to my ultimate goal, being able to do everything I want to do physically, and being the healthiest me, I can be.

No New Years Resolutions for this girl.  I look at every morning as another day to enjoy life.  Life is too long to be miserable, and too short to have regrets.  Live life outloud!  Sorry, if this sounds too easy, but believe it or not, adjusting your view of life will really take you further.  Be so optimistic that you can sell a pessimist a dream (I came up with that line back when I was still a kid).  What I am doing with my extra day this year?  I am here offering to support anyone who needs my support.  I challenge YOU to challenge ME!  Make this a 366 day year to remember!!!

Stay Positive!
Brenda : )~

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