“Discipline doesn’t prevent us from having fun and doing what we want to in life, but instead it helps us obtain what we truly want, which is peace, joy, and right relationships as well as other things.”
– Joyce Meyer, Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits
I knew when I began writing this blog and committed to the “70 in 7” project that I would have to pass on a few useless things in my life that were doing nothing but holding me back. I used to think playing games on my phone and computer were just so much fun until I realized that I was using them to escape relationships with anyone and everyone outside my family. I used to think eating anything and everything I wanted was incredibly enjoyable until I realized how sick and unhealthy it was making my body, which kept me from more important and even more enjoyable activities. I used to think lazily watching television and movies for hours on end every day was the most relaxing and stress-relieving option I had until I realized that the benefits of exercise far outweighed anything laziness ever gained.
Belief Statement #14:
“I love being thin and making the necessary [choices]
to keep my body looking and feeling great.
It is fun and exciting to wear clothes that show my own style.”
I didn’t consider myself “thin” when I wrote this statement, nor did I like my clothes much. But I knew that if I had faith, this statement would one day be true. A few weeks ago I went clothes shopping for the first time since I began this project, at which point I was a size 28. When I realized I could now fit into a size 14 and could now choose clothes that reflected a little piece of “the real me,” I knew that my dream was starting to come true.
My friends, I am like many who have tried every diet under the sun but could never find anything I could stick to for life and have the body I really wanted, the energy I absolutely needed, and the contentment and satisfaction of living every day to its fullest. I have met countless individuals who feel the same way. They think there’s no hope, that nothing is ever going to change, and they are resigned to live the rest of their lives overweight and depressed. My heart breaks to pieces when I see the same hopeless tears I have cried and the same deep sorrow found in resignation and defeat. This is not the end; it is but a place to start, a low place from which to look up and see the sun break through the clouds and shine light on the right path. I have thus discovered my lifelong purpose to take each of those individuals by the hand and lead them on that path. There’s nowhere to go but up! Who wants to come along with me?
The Art of Choosing True Life 