By: Beth Donovan, SparkPeople Blogger
3/9/2012 10:00 AM   :  39 comments   :  6,768 Views

See More: motivation, goals,

I used to think most goals were out of my reach. I live life more day by day as my journey to health continues. Instead of looking at how far I have to go, I rejoice at how far I’ve come. Every extra effort to get where we are going counts as a success in this journey of ours.  Even if we fall, we tried. We are like babies learning a new lifestyle of walking, and we should always get up and try again. Wouldn’t it be sad if a baby just decided it was too much effort and never tried to walk? We would weep for the hopes and dreams we would have for him or her.
 
Hopes and dreams keep me going now. I shop looking at clothes with a “Someday I will wear that” attitude, as opposed to just envying those who can wear it now. No, I probably will never be a size 5, but I’ll have more choices of clothes that I like better. It’s already happening.  I never realized I had an active wear side before. Usually, I’m a girly girl. I think new sides of you start to surface as you remove the layers.  My husband is sometimes surprised by how drastically my taste in clothing has changed. I have a few shorter skirts and tighter tops and have given up the baggy, frumpy look. I dream of the day of picking anything I want off of the rack at any store I want.
 
Before SparkPeople, I also had no idea that I was interested in physical challenges. Now I hope someday to do a 5K in an actual event, and even without a walker. Gym classes were always so competitive and it was just a pastime for others to make fun of the fat kid. I think it scared me away from physical challenges. The one thing I always enjoyed was Hatha yoga. As a child, I watched a show called “Lilias, Yoga, and You” on Chicago PBS. I remember just waiting for that show to come on television and challenging myself daily to see if I could do her poses or improve or even understand. Now I dream of being able to do a salutation to the sun once again. 
 
I dream of writing a book someday to help others stay inspired through this life-long journey. There are a few chapters written. I’m not sure what to do once I get a book written, so I think my brain is stalling. Writing to you on SparkPeople is a dream come true. Honestly, I prayed for a way to reach people with the news that even mobility-challenged, severely obese people like me can make the journey. When I was starting out and found that I could get the support and tools that I needed right in my own home with SparkPeople, it made all the difference in the world for me.  I can only hope that something I write touches someone and helps them.
 
I also dream of being a weight loss coach, to help others make it through the hard times. I’m still letting my fear hold me back here. A great friend of mine, SPARKGIRL32 encouraged me in this direction and I think I would enjoy it.
 
Think about your hopes and dreams and then move a little closer to them each day. You can embrace yourself, nurture yourself, and love yourself. Then follow your hopes and dreams as far as you can. Each day is full of new possibilities. Is this the day I will dance? Will I walk on the beach this year? Every question, every new possibility, every hope, and every dream keeps me going. Did you notice that I never mentioned a number on a scale? That’s because it is merely a side effect of changing your life. Change your life and you change your weight, not the other way around.
 
What are your hopes and dreams?