Frequently, people find themselves stuck in situations or habits that are hard to change. Read on if you need inspiration to get UNstuck.
Hey You!
Yeah, You! The one reading this! Chances are you clicked on this because you are feeling stuck. I mean, in the grand scheme of things {#corona2020} I think it’s safe to say we can all relate to feeling physically stuck. Personally, I’ve caught up on Outlander, Ozark, tackled two books, I’m about crafted out of my mind, and if that doesn’t make me lose it the homeschooling will. {For the sake of counting blessings, the kids are all still alive and well. #winning}.
But I’m not here to talk about being stuck in your house. I’m here, chatting with you, because this reality of being stuck in our homes is making us face some very real instances and examples of how we are stuck in life. Yes, friend, there is nothing quite like a quarantine to make you meet yourself. How you doing? Are you liking the person you’re getting to know?
Stuck
I am no stranger to being stuck. In fact, my whole life has been a series of finding myself in sticky places and clawing my way out of them. And more often than not it is an external force that drives me to look inward, deal with the junk in my head and in my heart, and take the next right step to a happier and healthier me. Just last summer I met myself… again… and I did not like the woman I had to get to know. The external force? One terrible, horrible, no good, very bad photo. When I say bad, y’all, I’m talking worse than when you open your camera and it catches you in selfie-mode bad. I’m talking I’d show you the photo but I burned it and the phone that captured it bad. I’m saying, seeing that photo was a moment that took my breath away, or more like knocked the wind out of me. I had to meet myself that day because I had no idea who I was looking at in that photo. Somehow, I had ballooned to nearly 200lbs and almost 50% body fat.
Getting UNstuck
Before I lose you, this isn’t just another weight loss story. This was a come-to-Jesus meeting. This was a mental quarantine in which I had to sit down and take stock of where I was going in my life. I got out a notebook, shut myself away, and wrote down goals. Not fitness goals, life goals. Could I get to where I wanted to be making the choices I was making? Could I be physically and mentally present for my children and my husband? Would I have the energy to maintain friendships and relationships? Could I become disciplined with my time at work, home, and school? Could I take the troubles life threw at me and grind – or would I stuff them away eating and drinking with abandon? Could I speak and live confidently? Could I still get low… or would I be scared to drop it to the flo’? {Yes, this is on my priority list. Ya girl likes to dance}.
I had to woman up and face the fact that the answer to all these questions was, simply and unequivocally, no.
I made a choice. I joined a phenomenal gym, and in doing so surrounded myself with a tribe of like-minded people who wanted to see the same life-giving change as I did. I committed to sticking with a nutrition plan. I worked hard 6 days a week. I spent some days discouraged, I cried a lot to my support group and my coaches, and then wiped my face and got after it again.
And here’s what I’m seeing:: 40 lbs fell off in 5 months. I put on muscle. I increased my squat depth {I’m just telling you this because it means I can now drop it like it’s hot}. But what’s even better is that taking this healthy step helped me to take another healthy step, and another, and another. I’ve become more disciplined with my time and priorities. I am more present for my family. I am more productive at work and at school. I am more confident in my skin and with my voice. I am learning, step by step, that I can do hard things.
You Can Do It
If you’re feeling stuck, it’s time to take stock. Have you met yourself lately? Are you stuck with an unhealthy addiction? An emotionally destructive pattern? A lack of self-control? Where do you want to be? What is one healthy next step you can take to get there? Who can you surround yourself with to cheer you on and hold you accountable?
Making changes is hard. Even if they are good for you changes. Maybe even especially if they are good for you changes. Whatever step you need to take, I urge you to listen to these words a dear friend of mine once spoke over me:: “You may not feel like a butterfly but, girl, you were created with the DNA of a butterfly!” You may feel like you are in the dark, girl, but you are getting ready to break out and spread those wings. I can’t wait to see them, I can’t wait to see where you go.
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