6 Years & a Day of Gratitude

Whenever I get discouraged, I go back and revisit this lady! A time when a 10 minute hike was a fitness feat, when I gave 100% to my goals (though I had very little to give), and when I dared to believe I could shed 100 pounds.  This month marks the 6 year anniversary of the day I had the "a-ha" moment and began making the little changes that made such a big difference! One of those changes is to find something EVERY day to be grateful for - there is strength in gratitude!  Here is my list of 10 things I am most grateful for over the last 6 years:


1)  That little boy with his arms around my neck who has loved me from the moment he entered this world.  He knows how to love unconditionally, and his heart continues to grow with his body!

2)  The knowledge that I am deeply loved by an all-powerful God who knows my heart, my strengths and my flaws and still blesses me incredibly despite them.

3)  The realization that the number on the scale or the size of my pants DID NOT determine my beauty, my kindness, my worth, or the amount and kind of love I deserved.    

4) The experience that comes from having nothing spiritually, emotionally, and financially, and realizing that hitting bottom means a fresh start and that UP is the only direction I can go.

5)  Amazing people who are more like tender mercies that God intentionally put on my path to teach me things I needed to learn, to inspire me to be better, and to comfort my soul. 

6)  The understanding that my huge goal of weight loss was not my end goal, but rather just the beginning of greater things.  And that achieving one goal is just that....a step to something better.

7) The blessing of being able to share my journey and story with others and being and instrument for good in something bigger than myself. 

8)  The education I have gained in nutrition, exercise and overall health.  I replaced a whole bunch of misguided information and discovered that knowledge truly is powerful.

9)  Experiencing the blood and oxygen flowing through every part of my body and the thrill as I pushed past my own limits and expectations.

10) The lesson that eating healthy, caring for my body and soul, and exercising hard did NOT in fact kill me.  It actually brought me back to life.

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