Inspiration

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains -
    Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth."
-Psalm 121:1-2

Since hitting the halfway point to my goal weight and losing 120 pounds in just over 7 months the natural way (diet and exercise) I've had a number of people comment whether in person or electronically about the inspiration that is to them.  So, I thought I'd write a little about my inspiration.

My inspiration first comes from the Lord.  Like any parent I know God wants only the best for me.  What the best is can sometimes be a question.  It doesn't mean what I think is best but what God knows is best.  But I do know the life I was living was not the best and the good choices I am making now are helping me to become better. 

Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with everything we have and secondly to love our neighbor as our self.  Over the past 20 years I haven't done well at loving myself which can be seen because I really haven't cared for myself.  So part of my inspiration is to love myself more because then I will be better able to love my neighbor and will potentially be around longer to love more neighbors.

I also receive inspiration from the results I am seeing - the results of making better choices and caring for myself more.  I can see tangible results in what I can do, how I fit into clothes and smaller spaces, and how I look.  I see intangible results in my confidence level to do and try things I didn't used to be able to do and in how I feel about myself.  Those results keep me motivated.

I have not watched for a while but today spent a couple hours watching The Biggest Loser re-runs and I realize how much inspiration I have received from the show.  I do believe the show is not about weight loss even though that is the measurement being used to show results.  The show is about life change and transformation.  That is what offered me inspiration in the beginning and I was reminded of that again today as I watched the show.

I also am inspired by others who have gone on this journey before me and the change that happened in their lives.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and others.  He created us for community and I believe one of the reasons for that is so we can encourage and support each other and that also means inspiring others from time to time.

I am just a man taking my life back and striving to make good choices so I can experience all that God has for me and I can be a part of His kingdom work for as long as He sees fit to keep me here.  And as I do that if God sees fit to use me to be an inspiration to someone else I'm okay with that and will do my best to live in such a way that is worthy of being that inspiration.  May all of us inspire each other be the people God created us to be.

Less of me.  More of Him.

- Eric