I've been 'off-the-wagon' since Thanksgiving and I was back here today looking for inspiration (b/c this is THE place to find it!) ... Anyway, thanks for always being an inspiration!
Glad you guys liked it (again!). Nothing like recycling old material, huh??
Good to see new and familiar faces posting here. It seems this time of year is tough. It can be easier to be focused when we first start something, but how do we keep it going? I haven't yet had the big backslide I feared when I first wrote that letter, but acknowledge that ... who knows? I guess it could seem fatalistic, but I never saw it that way. I do know that I feel strong every time I read that letter, and maybe that's what will help prevent a slide in the future! And if I do slip up, I want a reminder of what it felt like to be in such a positive frame of mind.
I'd love to have other people share their letters if they are interested. I learn so much from this community!
Thanks for sharing your letter with us Heather! It's a great idea. I may write one of my own in the future! It would be great to have a thread with all of our letters, I think reading them would be very motivating and touching
WOW ... Heather ~ that is really inspirational; and just what I need. After Christmas, I was feeling stuck; so I came here and within a couple of days, I was hooked, and found my original motivation was rekindled ... and refueled ever since then.
With motivational letters like this and encouragement from others who have struggled and overcome ~ I feel like there is nothing that can stop me from reaching my goals (except for myself). I'd like to save it, if you don't mind, so that I can read it again and again.
And, like others are planning, I think that I just might do the same thing for myself, so that when I'm in a funk ... I can reach back and remember why I started this journey in the first place! Thanx for sharing it with us all ~ a fellow encourager ... Rosebud.
Hi Heather. I know I already commented on this, but I just feel the need to again. I have had this letter on my mind ever since I read it. I keep going over in my head what I will write in mine. I will write in down within the next week or so. I want it to be just right. I just wanted to thank you again for a spectacular idea. One which I will surely be putting into play.
What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing! I too hope to write one in the next few days or so. I might just "borrow" yours and rewrite a few of the parts to be more specific for me. If that's okay. You have such a wonderful way with words. Thanks again for sharing!
WOW! I had not seen this thread when you posted it earlier this year - I was MIA. I'm so thankful to have read it tonight. Such a good idea! You are an amazing inspiration to me.
Glad this thread got bumped. That was a really great post. Instead of making a new years resolution this year I'm going to write my letter to myself. Thanks!
Thanks for posting, Wyllen. Sometimes I feel like I am two different people. One person sets and meets goals, loves exercise, eschews excuses, grabs the world and makes it her own, believes that ALL dreams can be accomplished, takes risks and bounces through life, seeing and owning the best the world has to offer.
And then there is the other me. The down in the dumps, discouraged, pessimistic me, who denies that I posess the power to make my life what I want it to be, the lazy one who makes excuses, eats crap and knows without a doubt that I will fail at whatever I am after. This other one does not recognize the first me. When I think about the goals I HAVE accomplished, it is impossible to realize that is also me. That I ran a half-marathon....not so long ago actually. But that seems like another person.
I can feel my middle thickening from my self-abusive behavior....my pannus that shrunk when I was running is back and I am so tempted to hate myself for taking these steps backward. But I guess the first me is still alive in there somewhere, cause that first me won't ever allow herself to be hated, not by anyone and certainly not by herself.
The first me never wrote a letter, but I know I can look on here for posts (posts by me!) of triumph and enthusiasm. It is a struggle. I always self-fulfill my mindset....I need to change my mindset.
Sorry if this rambling does not make sense, and thanks for getting me thinking.
Midwife - I so relate to everything that you've said. I have (at least) two people residing in my body as well. And it's so important to remember each of them regardless of how I'm feeling.
If I'm in a positive state of mind, I can get overconfident. I will sometimes buy those pop tarts or chips that my kids beg me to buy, even though I know that these are weaknesses for me. I feel so good and strong and I know I can say no. And I can, at least for a while. Sometimes it's long enough, but sometimes I get caught.
If I'm feeling low, I can remember that it won't last forever because I know that the positive person is still around somewhere, and she will be quite upset that I decided that one cookie contains as much calories as the whole bag, so it's okay to finish it off since I slipped up already.
I do try to work hard at recognizing what triggers the low feelings and depression and minimize the time I spend doubting myself and my abilities. But recognizing that all of these thoughts and feelings originate from somewhere and need to be handled is also important as well. And I sort of feel like that if I always felt like I was invincible, I would quickly become unbearable.
That's Absolutely Awesome ...
