I have been on this weight loss journey for close to a year now. The irony is, although I have not lost weight, I am learning more about who I am and who I am not. The other day, I was out with a gentleman and he said to me, Jesus says you are to love others as you love yourself. If you don't love yourself, how can you love others? Touché! And I might add, point well taken. You see, I had never thought of Jesus words in quite that context -- it is just that simple. We need to love ourselves enough to put ourselves first. If we don't take care of ourselves then, how can we take care of others? This gentleman has pointed out to me how important it is to have not just a healthy mind and spirit but also, physical well-being. The three join together to make us complete. I believe that, although he has probably not said anything particularly new -- it was new to me. And frankly, I like that theology, if you want to call it that.
So, as I continue along this journey of getting physically fit, I have to remind myself of some very important things. First, I am worth it. I am worth taking out some time for myself. I have not really learned how to take care of myself over the years. I have, in fact, been a daughter, friend, wife and mother. I never really learned who "Lisa" was...I sort of got lost in the shuffle. And so, I have to get out of my comfort zone and push myself in a whole new direction. One of the physical. This is not just a challenge of physical fitness, however. It is a mental challenge as well. I have to believe that I am worth the time and effort to not only look good but feel good.
This brings me to Oola. Yes, it seems everything in my life revolves around Oola but the truth is, if we don't make a plan and then work the plan, we will never reach our goals. And so, once again, I need to sit down and write out a plan; my Oola plan for the area of fitness. I didn't do that before. I wrote down what I wanted to lose but not how I was getting there. Big problem. Think about it this way; if you are on Google maps and have a destination and a starting point but the app doesn't download the information as to how to get there, you're still lost -- right? You might get there but only if you're a really good map-reader; those who are don't need Google. So, now I need to sit down and write a "real" Oola plan for my fitness goals. Not just how much I want to lose but how I am going to reach my goal; not just for one month but for the remainder of the year. I also need to review it daily; when I wake up and when I go to bed. Lastly, if it is not working, I will need to tweak it; or as the OolaGuys say, "course correct." That is, in essence what I am doing now.
I have been successful in other areas of my life with Oola but this is the one that is truly the most difficult. I believe it is because of a number of factors. First of all, it is not just pushing me out of my comfort zone but shoving me. Let's face it; I have struggled with my weight all of my life. I have lost it for others but never for myself. Now, I need to look at where I am and say, "Am I worth this?" The answer? A resounding yes! The next question, am I willing to do what it takes to get there? Again, yes! Bigger question; do I love myself? Well, to not love myself would to contradict the Bible, and that is a Word that I live by and believe. So the bottom line is, I have to love myself in order to love my neighbor. I need to have that mind, body, and spirit connection. I don't think as humans we can be complete without it. And so, I will be actually working on my Oola plan today and posting it tomorrow. Watch for it! It is important so that others like myself, who struggle with this inner war can overcome it. I am doing this not for my dad, my boyfriend, my children or anyone else. I am doing this for me; not just to be a better person but so I can learn to love others in the way God intended.
So when asked which is the greatest commandment? Jesus replies, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and the most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'" Matthew 22:36-39 (GNT)
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