Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.







Let's be more aware of all the choices, situations, twists and turns that brought us to this place right here and now. They May Be Miracles.



Saturday, January 30, 2010

What If's (Random Things I Think About At 12:30 am)

What If...

  • I train to do a 5K or longer and actually RUN it...not walk it?

  • I don't snack on chips or sweets?

  • I actually succeed at weight loss?

  • I actually defined myself as a thin woman and not an obese woman?

  • My children got to see me as a normal (thin) woman for most of their lives instead of how they've seen me so far?

  • Normal for my children would be me keeping up with them, not making excuses for the things I can't do?


See, my reality so far - how I've defined myself for years - is opposite of all of these things.  Even when I was thin, in my head I felt like I looked the same either way.  In my head I didn't truly believe that I would stay that way.  I don't know how to change my mind to believe that if I do lose weight that I can stay that way.  I still don't believe it's possible for me.  

I do think the things I say out loud and write should be positive and opposite of what I'm doing in this particular entry.  From all that I've learned over the years I do know that the only way to change your belief is to think, say, and write things the way you want them to be.  However, it seems at this moment that I need to face reality head-on...I sort of think that I need to "call out" all those beliefs that I am currently carrying with me. 

The everyday miracle in this scenerio won't be me losing weight.  It will be me believing myself as someone who can eat normal and keep a decent weight; it will be me believing myself as a middle-aged athlete;  it will be me believing myself as a good example for my children; it will be me believing myself as a beautiful woman worthy of my husband's admiration.  It's a huge order...and that's why it's an everyday miracle.
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3 comments:

Unknown said...

You can do it! Set the goal, run that first 5k! You have inspired a new post by me, with the steps to take to get there!

February 13, 2010 at 9:58 PM
Catherine Jones McClarin said...

In my opinion, the greatest gift we can give our children - especially our daughters - is to love and truly embrace ourselves exactly as we are today. You don't have to be thin to be a great example to your children. And there are heavy people who are in good health. Instead of aiming to get thin, aim to provide the best fuel you can to your family, including yourself. And move a bit each day. That way, you measure your goal every day, instead of your progress towards some distant, unlikely future. You don't have to run a marathon one year from today. You just need to dance for 5 minutes - today. You don't have to lose 100 pounds over the next year. You just need to eat a banana instead of a cookie - today. THAT is your miracle!

February 14, 2010 at 4:16 PM
May-be Miracles said...

JenG, thank you for the encouragement! I will be following your blog to look for your new post and finding all that I can apply to a new way of living my life to its fullest.

OyaSophia, *tears*, *uggh*, seems so simple...and again, great advice! You are a wise woman. Thank you.

February 14, 2010 at 6:43 PM

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