One Day at a Time - the Definition of Courage

I am incredibly lucky to have a network of family, friends and colleagues who are so supportive. I have received numerous messages from supporters letting me know that they are with me, on my team, or behind my effort all the way. Although I have tried to combat my compulsive overeating more times than I could possibly count, this time feels different.

Many of the e-mails that I received included the word "courage" and I started thinking about the definition of that word. So, I went to the dictionary for synonyms to "courage." They included "fearlessness," "dauntlessness," "intrepidity," and "spirit." What an incredible compliment! I never really thought about my effort being courageous; rather, I considered it necessary to come out of my shame. Then I started to think about something. The opposite of courage is fear and I have been fearful of myself, my weight, judgement, and failure for my entire life. I think that everyone wants to consider themselves courageous, yet as I think about my past behaviors I realize what a coward I have been in facing my fears. I am very privileged to now wear "courage" as my badge of honor.

So, you are probably wondering how it's going. So far, so good. Every day is a new day. My eating has been healthy and I am viewing food as fuel, making wise choices along the way. I approach exercise as a "must" instead of an option. I was not able to exercise on Monday evening as originally planned due to work commitments; however, I resolved to make up for it tonight and did Latin Cardio Dancing with the Stars for 45 minutes in the privacy of my family room. I had so much fun dancing the meringue, samba, cha cha, and mambo and the workout was incredible! Truly the first time I've had a good time exercising in the past 10 years. This is looking promising. . . as long as I continue to live one day at a time.