Day 348. 182.5 pounds lost.
Winding down 2017…..
I developed a love for travel in my early twenties. By the time I was 30, I had considered myself fairly well-traveled, having been to 47 out of the 50 states including travel abroad. Any opportunity to fly or visit somewhere I had never been I jumped on it. If you had asked me back in my twenties what the “Seven Wonders of the World “ were I would have said the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, or maybe the Great Pyramid of Giza. I have learned this year that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary or what we take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder — that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man. The journey was to experience the Seven true Wonders of life. Only through this would I understand how to move forward.
To see. I feel that I was given the gift of being able to see life with a new set of eyes. I was able to see things my body could do that I never thought possible. I was able to see the birth of a new part of my life; health and fitness. Obviously, these are two things I never thought would be part of my permanent being. I was able to see physical change and the accomplishment of goals. I was able to see the start of new passions and new directions for my life.
To hear. I feel that my relationship with God is one that improved significantly and I learned how to listen. I will admit that even today I don’t always understand what I hear, but nonetheless, the voice is there. Sometimes it comes through a dream, other times it comes through inspired thought. But there is always that little nudge that keeps me going and points me in the right direction. That voice was there January 1st when I was on my knees asking God for help. The voice said not to be afraid, and the answer would be provided. It didn’t fail.
To touch. I could go in a few directions on this one, but I will tell you the best feeling in the world; the hugs, the high fives, and those fist bumps of encouragement that I have received this year have been tremendous. Every single one of them helps.
To taste. Eating for fuel instead of eating out of boredom or misery has been a game changer. Eating clean completely changed my palette. My cravings for sugar and poison are no more. Taste receptors in the gut also get involved, and the process of “adjusting” to less sugar is a whole-body affair. My body craves things like carrots, kale, apples, nuts, and strawberries. I feel like I can actually taste food now. The difference in my face and skin says a lot about the food I put in my body. The proof is visual everywhere.
To Feel. It’s hard to describe life one year ago, but I can tell you it was a dark place. I can’t say I felt anything more than anger, bitterness, and hurt…. All those horrible things mixing together on a daily basis like a strong cocktail; a recipe for disaster. I feel everything now; mostly because I’m not fearful of HOW I feel anymore. I’m not afraid to express how I feel, and I’m not afraid to talk about it.
To Laugh. Laughing as well as “feeling” is hard when you feel like shit. This year has provided more laughs than I can remember in my life. I’m not talking about simple giggles, I’m talking about the bellyaching-laughing-till-I-pee-my-pants kind of laughing. New friends have made this possible as well as best friend connections I never thought possible. It could be morning conversations about anything and everything to the everyday laughs that come along with finding humor in the simple life things that happen.
To Love. I have always loved with my heart and not my eyes which I believe is a blessing, but when you go through devastating relationships or breakups, life has a way of hardening your heart. Love is also never what we expect. And it comes in all different shapes and sizes and sometimes, the world is cruel and makes us wonder why we even try in the first place. You start thinking that the ability to love another human is impossible. However, to love is to live. If you think about it, it’s so easy to interchange “live” and “love.” There is literally only one letter difference between the two words, and personally, I felt that they were intertwined with each other. I have loved fiercely this year. It has made me stronger and put a firm foundation on what I want and don’t want going forward.
These seven things really are the wonders of life. This journey has been about finding these things through a certain appreciation for life and a deeper level of awareness. I am blessed. Far more than I could ever express here.
