Life is a Journey...

There is a crazy dude in my spin class named Wayne. He is about 60 years old...and super duper physically fit. While most of us are sweating our eye balls out and struggling to keep those bike wheels turning...Wayne is flying along with ease at the highest possible tension setting on the bike.Basically Wayne is peddling the equivalent of biking straight up a 90 degree angled hill...easily without batting an eye...while the rest of us in the class struggle to survive and gasp for air! Wayne smiles the entire time that he exercises!!! Each week, Wayne gives the group a motivational story and/or a couple of inspirational quotes. This week his story was about Oprah...her personal trainer, Bob Greene, had been interviewed about Oprah's weight gain.

Bob Green told the reporter that the root of Oprah's weight gain problem was due to her lack of goal for a lifestyle change. Her original weight loss goal was a specific number on the scales and to run a marathon. She accomplished that goal within a year...and then she slowly started to gain the weight back. Oprah is human...something everybody seems to forget at times. I admit I am just as guilty as most...when Oprah lost the weight I said " well it's easy for her because she has a personal trainer all day... a personal chef all day...she's rich." I never once acknowledged that Oprah's personal trainer and/or chef...did not get up at 4am everyday...work out before work... put in a full 12 hour day...and exercise after work...they did not run the fat off her ass...she did it! Now, my heart aches for her. I had thought she was 'cured' of this fat fight...but you never are.

Wayne turns to me and says that "life is a journey...not a destination." My first reaction is to roll my eyes...like gag me...a gold standard quote. Life is a journey...not a destination. How many times have we heard this statement? How much money do you suppose Hallmark has made selling cards with this on it? I know I have heard it at least a million times...but I have never really 'absorbed' it. Wayne goes on to say "we are right here...right now...shouldn't be spinning for some number on the scales or day in the future that may never happen...it is right here, right now...fun group...great music...feel the burn...celebrate being alive...in the moment...right now." I thought about all of the years I have denied myself nice clothing, or dreaded trips, special events, even holidays in entirety because of my weight! How ridiculous is that? I still do it...I am getting better...but how tragic is that to deny yourself living because of a number on the scale?

Then, out of the blue...the actual intention of the quote "LIFE IS A JOURNEY...NOT A DESTINATION"...slaps me right across the face! I finally got it! I cannot waste one more day waiting for the day I weigh this...to do this, or to buy this or to enjoy a moment. In September I decided I was going to train for a mini triathlon. I am swimming, spinning, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, weight lifting, doing aerobics, on the treadmill, and rowing. I exercise almost everyday. I am now smoke free. I am focusing more on increasing my activity and experiences and less on a specific number. Life is not suddenly going to be perfect when the scales hit 199 pounds!

Wayne knocks me out of my reverie...my thighs are burning, my eye balls are sweating, I am struggling to keep those bike wheels turning... my ass is numb from that tiny tortuous bike seat...I am struggling to breathe...Wayne says "this is it Lynn...this is it right here, right now!" I feel the 'self inflicted' pain...I feel the fierce pride to be keeping up with the group...I feel alive again!

The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.
- John Maynard Keynes

Lynn
;)