Stretch Yourself!

One thing I’ve learned on this journey is that everyday is a new day. Not one day is the same, and with each new day, it got me closer and closer to reaching my goals. Often times the words I find myself preaching to others who send me emails with questions are: One day at a time. One step in front of the other. Stretch yourself! 

 I want to focus a few thoughts on the last thing I stated. Stretch yourself! Sometimes this one is not always easy. It’s not easy to try new things. It’s not easy to do things that challenge you.  It’s not easy to push yourself. It’s just not easy to do hard things. (Not to mention, sometimes these things are scary.) What I will tell you though, is that the more you try, the more you push, the more ice that can be chipped of that mountain, the faster you’ll be able to clamp on and get to the top - a success story, believing you can do anything! 

Changing our life around in order to get healthy and have our bodies stay that way is not supposed to be easy. If it were, there wouldn’t be so many people struggling with such problems on a daily basis. Not to mention, our bodies need to know and feel our commitment. It needs to know we're serious. 

Stretching ourselves is a good thing. Sometimes when we have to stretch ourselves and work hard for something we want so badly, we learn to appreciate it more because we had to work so hard at it and make it a priority.  We appreciate it more than we would if it were to have come easily and naturally. Sometimes I think this is the way God has planned it. He doesn’t want us to take our bodies for granted. He doesn’t want us treat them in a way that is unhealthy and disrespectful. If we’ve taken the steps to get back control of our lives, He wants to make sure we’re in it for the long haul. He wants us to feel the joy and peace that comes from treating our bodies like a temple. The joy and peace of feeling healthy and whole, like anything is possible. 

Our bodies truly are a gift and I know from personal experience that stretching myself was the ONLY way I was going to make it this time. I’d sold myself short and taken the easy route too many times before. It was only when I stretched myself, tried things I never dreamed were even possible, that I became the Paige I am today. If I did it, so can you! Believe in yourself, stretch yourself!  

Just like it was a stretch for me to do many things on this journey, I keep stretching myself.These are a few pictures from hiking with my hubby last weekend. Once we made it to the waterfall, we had to rock climb around the side of a mountain in order to see it. If anyone knows me well, I don't do heights. Trust me, it was a stretch, but one I'm so glad I pushed through!