Heroes are all around us and sometimes inspiration finds us where we least expect it. My son, my mom, and my daughter are all inspiring me to change my life in positive ways right now because they have all taken an honest look at themselves and are doing something to change.
My nineteen year old son is a true inspiration to me because he’s realized he has a problem with his weight and he’s doing something to change it. Unfortunately for Sean he inherieted my metabolism which means he can look at chocolate and gain weight. However, he realized that he needed to make a change and lose weight so he’s been walking the mile from work to the train station every evening and he’s been paying attention to what he eats. He goes shopping every week and picks out healthy foods for his lunch. He packs his lunch every day and he’s been working really hard at cutting out soda. I don’t know if he’s actually lost weight yet, but he is looking better and has more energy.
Mom is another hero of mine. Since losing my dad last November, she’s started working hard at losing weight and getting in shape. She’s been walking two to three miles every day and she’s lost about 40 lbs in eight months without doing a lot of dieting. This is especially inspiring because my mom has been heavy my entire life and she’s tried everything from hypnosis to stomach stapling to lose weight. I was out at her place last weekend and she showed me some of the hills she walks up and down and I was amazed that she was able to walk as far as she does. She told me that she’s making it a priority because now she doesn’t have any excuses like someone else to cook for or to take care of so she has made losing weight a priority.
Caitlin has absolutely no weight to lose because she was fortunate and inherieted her dad’s metabolism and not mine. She inspires me for a different reason because she’s taking saxaphone lessons and she practices every single day for a couple of hours. She started out sounding scratchy and out of tune, but after only a month’s worth of lessons she’s reached a point where we can understand what she’s trying to play and she’s working hard to teach herself to play by ear. I’m insipred to invest the time in what I want because I’m seeing the joy that investing in herself has brought Caitlin.I’ve noticed that since I’ve seen the inspirational behavior of my family, that I’ve been trying hard to emulate their behavior in my own life and to quit making excuses for eating too much or not exercising. Since Sean has started reading labels and trying to make healthier food choices, I’ve found myself cooking at home more often and trying to make healthy food choices for dinner instead of stopping by the nearest fast food restaurant for dinner. I don’t yet have the stamina to walk several miles a day, but I’ve been trying to be more active and at least take short walks on a regular basis and to park farther away.
These are all small changes and none of them will change the world, but what my heroes have taught me is that it isn’t about changing the world, it is about changing yourself.
Cairn by Cairn 