Roadblocks

     I have had a few stumbling blocks in the past couple of  months that I have allowed to become roadblocks in my path.  I am trying to get rid of these roadblocks and "confessing" them is the first step for me.  I have allowed these minor details in my life to become big excuses for staying in same old place.

     In February, I ended up with the flu.  I was pretty sick...not sure I remember when I was that sick.  I called in to work, which I don't do, I stayed in bed.  I ended up sick for most of March, with a cough that wouldn't end.  Then Delainey ended up with the flu as well...a minor case, but she was still sick.  Jim had strep throat not once but twice.  All this was just stuff, we all recovered.  I allowed it to derail my plans for becoming stronger.

     Up until all this sickness started, I had been reading my devotional and spending dedicated time with God almost every evening before bed.  While I was sick, I slept all the time and had little energy to do anything at all.  I got out of the habit.  I would read one day, but the next, I would fall asleep on the couch until I crawled into bed.  Even now, I stay up later than I should and when it is time to go to bed, I am wiped out.  My plan is to start getting ready for bed at 9 so that I can be there by 9:30 and have my quiet time from 9:30-10.  I miss this time and I feel much better when it is part of my daily routine.

     My exercise had just started to take off.  I was moving a little more each day...playing on the X-Box with D, planking each day to work on my core.  When I got sick, I developed some other issues that make exercise no fun.  I don't want to give a lot of details, but childbirth, being out of shape, and getting older are not always friendly to women.  I am seeing a doctor to work on this.  I have committed to walking 15 minutes a day, 4 times a week.  Again, I haven't done great with it, but I have a goal.  I don't want to be wiped out when we are walking around on vacation.  I don't have a choice with this!

     I have had a lot of stress at work, which had lead to lots of stress eating.  I am learning a new position  in addition to the one that I already have. It has been my choice to do this, but I am overwhelmed with learning.  My store just finished with inventory, which is amazingly stressful in the job that I do.  If the store has a good inventory, it is a great feeling.  If it is bad, a crew will come in and look at everything I have done for the previous twelve months.  Inventory is over and it turned out well, so that stress is gone for several months.  I have some training come up, so I will be learning my new position.  My excuses for stress eating are going away.  I know how to eat better, I need to just start.

     Today, I start back on my path to becoming stronger.  I have said it before, I will keep saying over and over...baby steps.  Babies don't start off running marathons, they start crawling, then one step at a time until they are confident.  I am back to the baby steps again, but I am back.