Category: Messy Blessings

Chapter One: The Beginning

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“Though no one can go back now and make a brand new start, anyone can start now and make a brand new ending.” -Carl Bard

I have tried to diet in the pass, and like most people, it goes well for the first few months and then tanks. The biggest challenge I would face would be maintaining the diet. I would grow tired of counting points, prepping food, preparing foods that my kids wouldn’t even eat and would usually take an hour to make. There would also be the concern of cost, and so I would eventually give up.

But not this time..

I knew something had to change towards the end of last year. I was developing new health issues and knew the best way to treat them would be to change my habits and lifestyle, or they would become worse and the risks would go up. I had reached out to a friend of mine who was a health coach for a great weightloss/lifestyle change company . I spent several months making up excuses as to why I couldn’t do it. Then at my last doctors appointment, I received some news and I knew I didn’t have a choice anymore.

I have spent the last two years suffering both mentally and physically. I am tired all of the time. I have become more of a hermit because I am embarrassed about the weight I keep putting on, so I won’t go out in public if I don’t have to. I become winded walking up any incline, have to force myself to take pictures with family, and prefer to take them in a selfie fashion so I can make myself look thinner. I have tried to exercise, but at this point I have put on so much weight that it kills my knees and lower back. Shoes, yes shoes, are a nightmare. It is an exercise in itself to bend over to put them on and lace them up, and if my shoes become untied in public, I ask my partner to tie them for me. The kicker to all of this is… I end up eating more to comfort me. Sometimes, I even binge eat.

Can anyone relate to this?

Center your life around what matters most to you.

Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen

I start my program this Monday. I was asked what my why’s were so I can focus on them during the program. My whys:

  • I want to be able to become more active with my boys
  • I want to improve my overall health and lower my risks
  • I want to feel spiritually, mentally, and physically strong

These three things are what matter most to me during this new journey I will be taking. There is no longer a cost too great for my health and life. I am determined and will fight to be healthy. I am ready to make a radical change in my life and make it last long term.

So I will be using my blog as a journal of sorts in order to help me remain accountable. I hope you will follow this new adventure with me!

Messy blessings,

Misty

Finding Courage

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Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.

Brene Brown

It is a new year… a fresh start… last year’s slate has been wiped cleaned. Some people have made their new year resolutions and goals. Others, like myself, have chosen a word to focus on for this new year. I have chosen the word Courage.

What does courage look like for me in this upcoming year? That is something I have been thinking on, and I have come up with a few ideas.

  • The courage to step out of my comfort zone and into a new adventure.
  • The courage to embrace change.
  • The courage to follow my goals.
  • The courage to be my authentic self.

All of these things are braided together. My goals will have me stepping out of my comfort zone. My authentic self will have me needing to embrace change. Vulnerability and change can be terrifying and uncomfortable. But I also know that living a life without courage prevents you from living the life you were meant to live. Living a life without courage crushes your goals and dreams, entraps you in remaining where you are comfortable, and causes you to miss out on all that life has to offer.

..living a life without courage prevents you from living the life you were meant to live. Living a life without courage crushes your goals and dreams, entraps you in remaining where you are comfortable, and causes you to miss out on all that life has to offer.

Misty Lee – Living by Grace

Something new going on in my life is job searching. It has been seven years since I left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom. I have loved every minute of it and honestly I’m not 100% sure I want to give it up, but the boys are getting older now and are more independent. I miss the challenges of a job outside the home and adult conversation. And lets be honest, some extra income never hurt anybody. An outside job would definitely be a new adventure for me.

Change. This can be a dreaded word and it leaves us with two options: 1. Run or 2. Embrace. I now realize that embracing change leads to less stress and worry. That doesn’t mean change is or will be easy, but it may very well be worth it! Along with possibly gaining employment, change for me also comes in the form of my health. I want to become healthy in three parts: mentally, physically, and spiritually. I have bounced back and forth with these three things like a ball at a soccer game…basically all over the place. It is time for a change and one that I am excited to embrace. (More on this topic in a future post!)

My goals for the new year are similar to every other year, but this time I want to succeed and have the courage to go after my goals without hesitation. My dream is to become a published author and it is about time that I put some real work into that. I want to fall back in love with reading. I want to be more active with my boys and less active on my phone. I also would like to be active without thinking I’m going to die because I have allowed my health to go.

Lastly, and this is the big one to finding my courage, is to be fully seen as my authentic self. I will find the courage to be true to myself. I know in doing so, that some will be unhappy, but my life and worth is more valuable than the opinion of others. I am a messy person who is blessed beyond belief, who has her faults, but is full of strength and perseverance. I will succeed. I am strong and resilient and from the ashes of my past I will find my courage…

I will rise.

A wild woman rises like a Phoenix from the ashes of her life, to become the heroine of her own legend.

Shikoba

Messing blessings,

Misty