The 15th day of Opportunities

The month is half way through. I don't know if you are like me but it doesn't seem possible does it? 70 days until Christmas which means 77 days until the end of the year. Wow! Of course right now I'm excited that we only have about two weeks of marching band left. Now don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoying the time but it will be nice to have that slow down a little. I know she is thinking the same thing too.

I sit and reflect a little about how this 31 day challenge is going. Well, I'm about average I think. There are somethings that I've been working on and some that need some more work. But hey, aren't we always a work in progress?

Today I start in a support group with a wonderful group of women. Some I've known for many, many years and some not as long. The point of the group is not only weight loss but to support each other. It is more like an improvement group because not all women need to lose weight but may be they have other areas in their live that they need to improve on and just need that little bit of encouragement. I started the group, created a Facebook page and posted before pics. I've never posted before pics of myself. I've taken them but never shared them outside my hubby. I didn't like what I saw.

So here I go again. Back on the road to improve myself. I'm not new to this. I know what to do and what not to do. I do have will power when I want to and I am a stress eater when I want to be. I have struggles with my weight, my image for as long as I remember. I want to stop this back and forth, to and fro I do. I know the risks, I see it in my family. I'm a witness to their arthritis, there heart issues, their blood pressure issue, their medication. I know. Yet, I go through this almost every year. I try real hard, do real good for a while and then something happens and I walk away. I give in to temptation, I have excuses, I bend the rules. I find easy.

This journey is no different than any other journey. Everything takes work. Marriage, parenting, outside jobs, spiritual walk and even weight loss. I am and always have been a determined person. I'm not sure why I struggle so with my weight, my self image. It isn't something I want to pass along to my daughter, although I see her struggle as well. It isn't something I want to dwell about all the time. I want it to be natural. I want it to be self accepting.

I have this opportunity to lead a group of women that do not judge me for my flaws. They accept me, they encourage me. We support each other through various issues in our lives. We have each others back. Today I'm going to embrace a gift God has given me. For the next four months we will each work on our own area, rather it be weight loss or not. I have short term goals and long term goals. I also would like to go ahead and get my personal training certification. Something I've always wanted. Something I'm good at, like to do. I find joy in encouraging others and I know I'm pretty good at it. So I will try in December. And who knows what type of opportunity that will bring my way.