Holy smokes it is Tuesday again, the day I set aside to put my laborious long winded thoughts into a word processor and share with my DB friends. Tuesday seems to have snuck up on me this week, luckily the events of this past week have been centered on something I have meant to put down in writing for some time. So sneak up anytime Tuesday I am ready.
I am a very Family centered person, not only blood, but, also I tend to develop extremely close relationships with my friends to the point where I consider them to be family. These strong bonds of companionship are my foundation in life. They are the reason I get up in the morning. I have always drawn strength from them. I thank God every day for the people in my life, I wish I could express that feeling to each individually, however, as that is not possible hitting my knees each night and expressing it upstairs will have to do.
This week I was blessed to be visited by out-of-town family whom I haven’t seen in ages. This was very uplifting for me and at the same time made me miss others whom I don’t see as often as I like too. In addition to this visit I am also lucky enough to have another one of my favorite cousins sharing this DB journey with me. I love my family!
I have mentioned in past musings my apprehension of comments good or bad. This week though I have learned a lesson, that anxiety of receiving compliments is unfounded. I guess I should have been prepared for comments as I was seeing people whom have seen only the “old me” not the new and improved version. I wasn’t prepared though, so the comments came on hard and as they were family I had to hold myself up and take them with courtesy.
In listening and responding to the many compliments from loads of individuals I realized my previous apprehension was hindering me and not allowing me to shine. This can be a sensitive subject for some people, especially those of us that have ridden life as a larger individual always trying to lose.
Compliments, applause, homage, or just the simple high five for the steps we take should always lift us, should always be appreciated, and should always be accepted and spring us into continued action. This has been a lesson I have been pondering on for the last few weeks as is evident if you read my little blogs. It finally all came together and I am finally at peace, I only wish this is a lesson I could have learned much earlier in life.
This journey we are on is one that lasts a life time. There are ups there are downs. There are times we kill it and there are times we feel it kills us. However the journey whether we have lost a 100, 20, 5, or no pounds at all is still a movement to strengthening, improving, or refining who we are and how we impact all around us.
What does this all mean to me? If someone tells me I’m looking great, you are getting skinny, or even if they say so you’re at it again or anything I am going to internalize it, I am going to thank them, I am going to use it to continue to push me to obtain my goals and life.
We are working our behinds off (literally in some cases, mine included), no matter if you have not made the progress you are hoping to have, or, are knocking it out of the park, you are on a glorious path! You have made a choice to better yourself, you are moving, focusing on good food, and experiencing things in life that you wouldn’t have if you were on your butt watching tv or playing video games. The next time someone pays us a compliment of any kind, let’s say: “Thank you I am working my ass off and your words strengthen me to keep pushing.”
My name is Travis, and I am here to heal myself!