First time for everything

There really is a first time for everything.  I've seen a number of firsts over the last few months but October's firsts may be sticking out a little more because some of them are first time ever occurrences rather than just first time since starting this journey.  Here is October's list...

• October 1: Completed a 5k race
• October 21: First strength training workout since starting this journey
• October 22: Climbed Spruce Mountain
• October 30: (still to come) Preaching and sharing my journey personally outside of Spruce Lake since beginning this journey.
• Hit my first real plateau in this journey - stayed right around the same weight or even added a couple pounds in the last month.

These are some firsts that are tangible and available for all to see.  There are some others that it's possible that nobody but me will notice.  While stretching prior to a workout this month I was able to touch my toes with legs straight and knees locked.  I later picked something up off the floor standing in that position.  Those were firsts.  Putting on a 3x shirt and thinking - I can wear it but it's really too big.  Sitting in an office chair with a hydraulic lift and not having it sink to it's lowest level because there's too much weight on it.  I even did a couple exercises with the trainer that I had to climb up onto an apparatus to do them and I would never have tried them even now without a trainer there to push me - but I was able to do them and proud of the accomplishment after the fact.

Those are some firsts that are exciting and I'm happy for and proud of.  I'm not as proud of the current plateau but I know it's normal.  I also know that the journey I'm on is one of a changed life and a new lifestyle and the numbers on the scale are only a result of the changed life, not the goal themselves.  I will continue to live my life with my renewed commitment to health and wellness and let the numbers fall where they will - and I know they will fall.

While I am proud of these accomplishments and know I should be celebrating them sometimes I feel a little lame in doing so.  After all - what's the big deal?  I'm just doing what I think everyone should be able to do and likely does as they live their life.  Celebrating it because it's a first for me makes me feel a little foolish at times even though I don't think it should.  It does make me wonder if there are still some self image issues in need of change and if changing those would then make me more ready and excited to celebrate these and more firsts that will be coming.

Learning to celebrate will be explored in a future blog post I'm sure.  For now I take the firsts in stride and keep moving knowing every step draws me closer to the man God created me to be.

Less of me.  More of Him.
-Eric