Friday, April 25, 2008

Gratitude...

"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." - Frank A. Clark

I was reading in the book, "A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul" and in it was a section on obstacles. One of the stories caught my attention and made me think. The gist of the story was that of a man walking down the street and noticing a friend with a forlorn look on his face. The man greeted his friend and ask how things were and instead of a quick dialogue it ended up to be a long diatribe of problems.

The friend said that he would donate $5k to the man's favorite charity if he knew of a place that he could go without problems. The man took his friend up on the offer and walked him down to the local cemetary. The dead, you see, have no problems.

Whatever problems or adversities you are facing today, be thankful for them. I know that sounds weird, but really - if you had no problems, then you wouldn't be growing. Problems prepare and stretch us...

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

The Past...

"The one charm of the past is that it is the past." - Oscar Wilde

I love that quote. It's true, the past is the past. Although nothing can change it, we can learn from it and start from now to change the future.

I still get haunted by the past from time to time but when that happens I try to remember that whatever happened then cannot be changed. I can only deal with the here and now. Each day is a new day to learn from the past and press forward with that knowledge.


"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." - Author Unknown


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 11, 2008

Strength...

"The shortest answer is doing." - Lord Herbert

Where do you derive your strength? Is it in the accolade of others? In your abilities? In your desires? When the chips are down, the race is only half over, defeat is on the horizon - where do you find the strength to press on?

The accolades of others wane. Your abilities can be robbed of you in an instant. Your desires can often be false to what you really want. Is your strength in your sense of self-worth?

No one can rob you of your self-worth unless you give them the opportunity.

"All know the way; few actually walk it." - Bodhidharma


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 04, 2008

Boldness...

"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do." - Baltasar Gracian

Ever dare to be bold? Dare to try something new even though you might fail? On this weight loss journey I have been bold plenty of times and I am always looking for more things to try. Some things stuck with me like running races while others weren't cohesive to my personality or interests.

You need to break out of your mold, step out of your comfort zone and dare to try things. I started with donating blood. Something simple. And it grew from there, 5k races, charity walks, chili cook-offs, speaking in public.

Try something different. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. How will you know if you don't try?

"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com