They lied...

Our parents told us we could be anything we want, and yes, it is true in theory, in practice, it is simply not true. I will never be a professional football player. I do not get to be a Doctor, or a Lawyer. I will not be playing a saxaphone on stage to a crowd of cheering women. I did not use guitar, because, you know, you can't give up on all of your dreams.

Here is my point. You are who you are, this is all we get. You are the result of your cumulative choices since you were born. Your environment impacted you. Were you born in another country, you wouldn't be you. Who YOU are now, is not who you were 5 years ago, its not even who you were 5 minutes ago.

So, what do you think of yourself? Be honest. If I am honest with myself, I can be very ashamed. For a long time I kept score by how many people worked for me, then I kept score with what my annual compensation was, and frankly, I still do. So I get angry with myself. I was so eager to have more responsibility, more accountability and more influence, that I did not realize how good I had it. Honestly, I do not know if it was that good.

There is a point to this and I will make it soon. I took a huge pay cut, just under $250,000 a year. It is so hard for me to write that. What is interesting, is that I could have just taken $152,000 pay cut and gotten paid to do nothing. I hated myself. I hated my job everyday, because I did not feel important. Do you feel important?

Now I have a house that will not sell. I went from 4,500 square feet to a 400 square foot bedroom. The part that is amazing is that I am incredibly happy. I get to see my dad everyday. I get to see my family. I am getting in the best shape of my life. I am stronger (ask Jason, we moved a treadmill last night and it was no sweat.) I work for a much smaller company and it is much more demanding. I make so much less money.

So I get emotional about that. I want to buy things. I want to fix things. I do not have the resources I used to have to be able to do that stuff. Do not cry for me, I still get a very healthy paycheck. I try everyday to like myself more. How hard do you try?

This weight loss journey for me goes so far beyond the luminated digits on the scale. I want to be a better husband. I want to be a better friend. I want to be a better employee. (In case it may shock you, I have a tendency to yell at people, even if they did not mess up on purpose.) I want to be a better son and brother and cousin.

How have you adjusted your lifestyle? Eating less is just one part. How do you deny your negative impulses? Do not just lose the heavy load weighing you down on the scale. Lose the heavy load weighing you down in your pursuit of happiness.

You only get to do this once. Do you have debt? How much of your paycheck did you save last week? What was the last really fun thing you did? Last night, my Dad, me and my brother sat out by the fire. It was a cool Tuesday night. I hate to be so small town but it was a great time.

I have to tell myself that it does not make me a loser to want to be close to my family and my home. I have to tell myself that it is ok to slow down. I have to accept that I will never be any more than who I am. You have to accept the same thing.

We are not overweight simply because we like to eat. Although, that is a part of it. Why are you overweight? Katie says, "food is love." Don't you feel that way sometimes? When was the last time you bought something you couldn't afford, simply because you wanted something shiny and new.

Maybe it is not as emotional for all of you as it is for me. I want to like myself. I have a strong desire to be proud of myself. I have to fight feelings of regret for what I could have done differently. What feelings do you fight? What are your demons?

I am not telling you that you have to love yourself. I am telling you that this is as real as it gets. Your desire to be a better you cannot simply be a desire to look at lower numbers on the scale. Later today, when you are alone, stand up and run in place until you cannot possibly run anymore. Feel your heart pounding in your chest, and your lungs expand as you gasp for air.

You're alive. Live life. Live it well. What we are doing will make you feel better, feel stronger, and feel more vibrant. You never get to be anybody else but you, and you are the most important person in your life (don't lie to yourself, its true.)

Do not limit this journey to your waist line. Is your house clean? How about your car? When did you last have your oil changed? Name one thing you have been putting off for weeks, why not do it right now? What did you do for yourself today? Did you enjoy it? If you do not like yourself yet, why not? If you are a male, do you have nose or ear hairs hanging out? If you are a female, when was the last time you wore make up and felt glamorous?

Don't laugh. Take your life and lifestyle seriously. Right now, this moment, this is all you ever get. Smile. Think. Feel. Laugh. Live Healthy, Live Longer.