NOW

I read a book today that has given me a perspective I haven't had in a long time. It is called One Word That Will Change Your Life. I have needed to make some changes for some time now. I am miserable in my body. I can't move, I can't breathe, I can't look the way that I want. I fear things; health, cancer, diabetes. I know I need to change things, but I make excuses every.single.day. 

   In this book, you are to choose a word that will be the focus of your years' actions. I was worried that I wouldn't come up with the perfect word. It outlines methods to come up with your word, and I was ready and willing to take the steps to discover the word that would be my anchor. But just as I finished the last few words of the book the word 'now' came to me. I sat with it for a while and contemplated its potential. I realized I had exhausted other mantras in the past; believe, dream, even Nike's "Just Do It". But what I had lacked is the simple idea of imperative action. In other words, no matter what the goal, no matter what the dream, sometimes the missing element is the idea of just getting up and doing whatever is necessary N.O.W. No more excuses, no more debates, no more mental dialogues. I also realized serendipitously that the word now can also be rearranged to say 'own'. As in, own your behavior, own your choices, own your success. The word can also be arranged to say "won". Not, I hope to win, or someday I might win, or in six months or sixty pounds I will win. No. Won. I won this battle, every time I make a choice to eat what will bring me health. I won every time I move my body so that I am choosing wellness not sickness. I won. The battle is over.  I like my word. It will work for me in 2014.