And the Oscar goes to....

Hey all,
I don't know about you, but I have always had a fear of public speaking. Let alone trying to speak to a large group of people....if you look to my right...or right of you lol. You will see I have 99 followers....which is very flattering. Which to me counts as a 'rather large group of people'.
I was thinking on my way home of all those today show success stories. You know the ones...
The ones where they show HOW FAT the person was before, and HOW THIN they are now...Then they pull some moronic trick by showing the person's pounds lost in some sort of food itemy way.
Then they ask what I think is the world's dumbest question...
If you could give someone out there one piece of advice, what would it be?
As if weight loss can be summed up in a sound bite.
I guess for some it can.
Eat less...exercise more...
that is, if you ignore what got that person to that point in the first place.
If you never deal with the underlying issues.
If you think everything in life is as simple as we would all like it to be.
You see...If they got me up there..I probably wouldn't be able to shut up.

The first thing the person on the other end of that transmission would need to understand,
was that I UNDERSTAND...
THIS IS WHAT I WOULD SAY....
I know how you got where you are.
I know how trapped you feel. How ashamed. How hopeless.
How you cover it up by being happy all the time, accomodating, and settling for less because you feel that it is all you deserve.
I KNOW.
Here's what else I know.
You don't need one bit of advice FROM ME.
I am not special.
I am just someone who started seven months before you did.
Who am I?
I am you.
You know what you need to do....you just don't think you can.
Maybe you have tried and failed.
Tried and failed so much you think you have failure tattooed on your forehead.
Maybe you have people telling you daily: how much of a screw up you are...or they call names, or they just don't 'expect much'.

The only thing I can say with 100 percent certainty is YOU CAN.
You are the only inspiration you need.
You! watching this t.v. program (stay with me here....I am in imaginary t.v. land)
Put down that snack...
Now, from here on out...you put your shoes on when you USED to watch this stupid t.v. show.
You take a twenty minute walk.
Every day for thirty days.
Till exercise is a habit, a way of life...just something you do. It's who you are.
Then,
Limit your calories to whatever you can live with, and stay healthy.
Eat to live, instead of live to eat.
There are so many ways to do this I can't name them all.
Calorie counting, weight watchers...et al.
Then you do it, day in and day out.
Good days and bad.
Every day you stick to your plan is a victory.
Every time you slip and fall, then get back up...It's a victory.
Every time you bypass the opportunity to eat your frustration,
your sadness,
your fear,
your loneliness...
it's a VICTORY.

You see, yesterday is yesterday.
Tomorrow is defined by only one thing. You.
Every moment you create yourself anew with your intentions.
You aren't stuck unless you think you are.
All you have to do is let go.
Let go of yesterday and grab on to today. Today is all you have.
Every time you decide to treat yourself with respect, and expect the same from others.
Every time you decide you are worth it.
Every time you say...When you are mentally abusing yourself with that internal voice..
"You know what, I will feel bad about myself tomorrow....today I choose to be happy with me."
It is a victory.


Then one day, you will wake up and find that something quite extraordinary has happened.
Those people you used to watch with awe.
They...are you.
You have become the kind of person you admire.
You have become your own hero.
Then people will ask you....
Then you too, can come stand here and tell people what you did.
And wonder why people listen.
They don't listen because of you.
They listen because deep down,
They know they can do this too.

Hugs,
You slightly demented blogger,
Chris