I (You) can do it!
Do you ever wonder if you can do something? Something you couldn't do before because of being held back with your weight or other obstacles? I think we all become very complacent with not pushing ourselves to succeed. It's so easy to just sit back and let life pass us by. It's easy to say "I can't do it". I know, I would say those very words. I was letting life pass me by. But....that was before my surgery. Since I have been going to the gym and losing weight, my self-confidence is coming back...quickly. I have put several items on my bucket list, one of which is to walk a 5K. One thing I have learned through this change in my life is that you can't just jump in with both feet....you will most likely fail....well, I know I would. So, I decided I would start with something more manageable and achievable. I registered to walk a 2 mile event which was part of a larger 4K run which took place this past weekend. I know I could walk the 2 miles, but I wasn't sure how I would feel afterwards. I set up a team called the Young Angles, there is some irony there with my last name and those who keep guiding me along my path. There were five of us who donned their walking shoes and took off on the walk. The whole event was very inspiring for me as it benefited the PA Special Olympics. It was cool to see some of the Olympians participate in the run/walk event. If they could do it, well so could I and I would be supporting them in the process. I was one of about 3000 participants and it was AWESOME! I finished without being short winded, sore and tired. Well....ok...I was a little tired...but I felt great! I finished the walk with pride and yes a lot of emotion. We finished on the 50 yard line in Beaver Stadium (the home of the Nittany Lions). This was the coolest part of the event. There were cheerleaders, some of the women's basketball team, coach Franklin, Sue Paterno, and a lot of other Penn State athletes who gave a high-five as you entered the stadium....again emotional.
The moral of this story? We all can do whatever we set our mind to doing. We just need to believe in ourselves. You may not be able to run/walk a 5K right out of the gate, but in time you can achieve this goal. It is better to try and not succeed than to not try at all. We can't give in to the voice in our head that is telling us "you can't do this because of....". You gotta try and try and try. Don't worry about being perfect, or strong, or good at it...believe in yourself and you will be surprised what you can do. I believe in you!
