I Made a Purposeful Choice to be Overweight

One purposeful choice at a time. That’s how I got there.

I looked in the mirror and began the words that had become common to my ears. “I am fa . .”

Before I completed the statement, I heard the voice in my head remind me to beware of my words.

‘Okay, I am over . . .”

Again, that pesky voice struck me.

Many years ago, I began to recognize the power of the phrase “I am.” It is the very phrase that God used to declare HIS name.

I wanted to be honest about my current situation but I didn’t want to speak the “I am” phrase in a negative way.

I thought back to what Denise Oatley Hall had said when we were at the Mountain Valley Writers Conference. “People who are over-weight are over-weight for a reason of their choosing.” She wasn’t talking to me specifically, but the words hit me and stuck.

“My choices have led me to this place of being over-weight.”

I think saying it this way hurt even more than if I had thrown the weight of God’s name behind the declaration. Saying it this way gave me complete responsibility.

I didn’t want responsibility.

I wanted the weight to have snuck up on me – like a reverse Adipose situation. I was just going along, minding my own business, and little by little the fat snuck up and attached itself. Suddenly, I was where I am.

Not because of me.

But I know that the path I walk in this moment is one specifically chosen by me. Sometimes the choices were little and sometimes they were big. Sometimes the choices were responses to others and sometimes they were choices to help me avoid others. Always – without exception – the choices were mind.

The choices are still mine. If I want to be in a different place than I am at this moment – with my weight, with my passion, with my purpose – then I have to make purposeful choices to get there.

How to Make Purposeful Choices

• – Take ten breaths. With each breath in, think about the choice ahead. With each breath out, determine the value for (or against) the choice. After ten breaths, emotions will often be left aside and ration steps in to drive a purpose choice.

• – Ask before you decide – not after. Every person you ask will have an opinion. Get the opinions that you trust, line them up in a row, and apply your own thoughts or ideas. If you keep asking you will never make a purposeful choice because the choice will keep changing with the asking.

• – Examine the heart of the matter. Make a list of what you want and why you want that what. Dig deeper by taking time to meditate on the list. When you decide what is truly most important and WHY it is most important then you will be ready to make the purposeful choice that will lead you there.

The choice is mine. It was my choice that led me here and it is only my choice that will lead me down a new path.

How will you choose?

Are you ready to launch your dreams?

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