A few years ago I was training on my road bike for the MS150 ride in New Bern, NC. So many joys came from making the time to train. New friendships, thinking time on the bike, the satisfaction of knowing I was improving as I logged more miles. Subconsciously, I was expecting to see my body change as I suited up each day to head out for my rides. This was not a primary focus so I continued to rationalize and justify my commitment to keep riding. Have you ever kept doing something over and over again expecting different results? So many great things were happening around me . . . building relationships, raising money for an important cause and seeing my miles increase over time. However, the fuel for the engine (my spirit) was not improving. In fact, it was regressing.
I will never forget the day I made the call to my friend who is a personal trainer and shared my frustration. We made an appointment to meet at the park and begin. It was a hot, humid, eastern NC day and of all times, we chose to meet during lunch, the hottest part of the day. What was I thinking? I was desperate for change. She began to share thoughts on creating a healthy body. Those first six weeks of meeting with her was hot, painful, and frustrating. She encouraged me to plug into a group training to gain more support and encouragement. That is when things began to change in my spirit and in the mirror. I literally saw my mind and body shift over the course of a year as I changed what I was eating and worked out only three times a week.
The key to feeding your spirit is to understand and study it. There is only one me and only one you. No one in the history of the world has your DNA, fingerprint or your spirit. We were born originals, yet we want to live as copies. Crazy thought, huh? I knew I had to study how my body worked in order to feel better. In our world today, we buy into the thought of “more being better”. Most everyone you speak to is not interested in “doing more”. We often hear words of people commenting “I am exhausted” or “I just can’t do anymore” or worse yet “it is not worth it”. When you have done all you can do, it is time to become more. When we decide to become more, we have made the commitment to focus on better choices.
“More is not better, better is better.” I would hear my personal trainer say this over and over again in our sessions. A breakthrough happens when we learn enough that we want to or when we hurt enough that we have to. It is a series of little tweaks in our thought patterns that lead us to new choices that change our lives. When we prepare our minds, we are able to recognize the opportunities around us. I invite you to join me in making better, not more, choices. Until next Friday . . .
