I recently had an epiphany that is clearly late in coming. I realized that it doesn't matter what other people think as far as my future, I am the one in control. They may be right, they may be wrong, it really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I am the one that makes my choices day in and day out, and those choices come together to create my path. I am the one who makes or breaks me, period. I love the guidance that I get from other people, and it is invaluable, but at the end of the day I am the one stepping up to the plate or chickening out.
This goes for every area of my life. I am the one who will say yes or say no. I am the one who will choose which fork in the road is best. I am the only one I have anything to prove to. Losing weight is truly empowering. It makes you see yourself more clearly. It makes you reevalute so many things. For me it gives me the confidence to take on the world. It gives me the mindset of "if you can lose 4% of your body weight in less than a month, what the hell CAN'T you do?!"
We all have a strong, confident person inside of us. Maybe you haven't heard from him/her in awhile. Maybe he/she has been beaten down one too many times. Just remember that that person is in there waiting for you to listen. We are the ones in control of our decisions. We are the ones who can make or break that next step.