Last week I worked my way up to the 4 mile point. Just two and a half months ago I couldn't finish a mile and now here I am able to run 4+ miles at a time. That's amazing to me. Did I mention I'm hoping to run a 10K in January? (January is my 1 year anniversary on this journey)
I run a hilly course out at my parents house. My parents live in the "country" so I pass more horses on my run than I do houses. It isn't unusual to not see a single person/car during my 4 mile run. It's a nice feeling not to have to worry about getting ran over by a car. At the same time I have to keep my eyes peeled for snakes. I passed two (thankfully dead ones)on a recent run.
I noticed something else as I was chugging along recently. About half way through my run I looked over and to my surprise saw... .a house. Ok, that may not sound surprising to you, but I have ran this course several times on my visit out here and never noticed this particular house. Since the number of houses I pass in that 4 miles can be counted on one hand I was puzzled how I could miss this one. It was an adorable little thing that reminded me of a Gingerbread House. Somebody obviously put a lot of love into that house full of flower boxes.
So, how did I miss it? Well, probably because I used to struggle with that mileage and I would've been focused on MAKING myself run at that point. Now that it's easier for me I'm able to simply enjoy the run and therefore the view more.
But it got me thinking. How often are we too focused on something in life that we forget to simply enjoy the view?
When I was 100 pounds heavier and I was out in public I spent a lot of time focusing on how bad I felt about myself, and how I thought others would perceive me. It's sad to think I missed out on some great moments because I was too caught up in being "fat".
Did I turn down invitations to go out with friends because I didn't like how I looked? YES. Did my friends care what I looked like? NO. Did I miss out? Probably.
Did I pass up chances to dance silly in my PJ's with my son? Yes, I missed out.
Why? I was overweight, morbidly obese to be more precise. But I had the power to change that.
YOU have the power to change it. Don't miss out on living your life.
