“Why” and “Why Not”

"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind." ---Leonardo da Vinci

If you were to go out and do exactly that which you have always desired, what would it be? Do you go to work with a smile on your face and look forward to the day ahead? I am not talking about a positive attitude, where you can make anything a wonderful experience. I am talking about pure, passionate desire and the fulfillment of your dreams. I deeply admire those people that can do this, regardless of where they finish. Having the courage and the audacity to take the journey you once passionately desired is an amazing accomplishment.

I read a story this evening about a woman and her dream. The amazing thing about this woman is that she was by most measures living the dream so many other women would want. She was wealthy, healthy and enjoying a very successful career. However, it was not her dream, not her passion and not what she felt was her calling in life. She and her husband’s willingness to change their complete lives and lifestyle so that she could pursue her dream are nothing short of amazing.

"Dreams do come true, if we only wish hard enough. You can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." ---James M. Barrie

Would you have the courage to quit your job, sell your car, sell your house, and seriously downsize your life to pursue your dream? Would you be willing to let go of the life you know to obtain the life you dream? Letting go of all you are familiar with, comfortable with, stuck with, to achieve a dream unfulfilled. This woman did just that and there were difficult times and rough patches where she though she would never accomplish that which she dreamed. This woman is an amazing woman and her book “Unstoppable” by Cynthia Kersey is a wonderful book and part of her dream. A friend of hers questioning her sanity and decisions asked her, “You think YOU can write a bestseller?” Her response, “Why Not?”

The catalyst behind our most cherished accomplishments of our lives is our why or why not. Looking over my life it is the moments of having a strong why or the courage of why not that has the most appeal. Losing weight, getting in shape, pursuing a dream, falling in love, embarking on an adventure, all of it requires a strong why or a powerful, courageous why not.

"You have all the reason in the world to achieve your grandest dreams. Imagination plus innovation equals realization." ---Denis Waitley

I have a short-term why that I invite anyone reading this to join in this competition. I am going to dinner with friends with whom I have not seen since shortly after high school. The goal is to lose as much weight or percentage of weight possible in the next 19 days. Beginning Monday morning March 5th and ending Saturday morning March 24th. The why is the dinner out with friends and the plan is to see how well I can do knowing that the Dinner will be the 24th of March.

"Our life is composed greatly from dreams, from the unconscious, and they must be brought into connection with action. They must be woven together." ---Anais Nin

"Ah, there are so many things betwixt heaven and earth of which only the poets have dreamed!" ---Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Only One Pound

Hello, do you know me?
If you don't, you should. I'm a pound of fat,
And I'm the HAPPIEST pound of fat that you would ever want to meet.
Want to know why?
It's because no one ever wants to lose me;
I'm ONLY ONE POUND, just a pound!
Everyone wants to lose three pounds, five pounds, or fifteen pounds, but never only one.
So I just stick around and happily keep you fat.
Then I add to myself, ever so slyly, so that you never seem to notice it.
That is, until I've grown to ten, twenty, thirty or even more pounds in weight.
Yes, it's fun being ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT, left to do as I please.
So, when you weigh in, keep right on saying, "Oh, I only lost one pound."
For you see, if you do this, you'll encourage others to keep me around because they'll think I'm not worth losing.
And, I love being around you - your arms, your legs, your chin, your hips and every part of you.
Happy Days!!!
After all, I'm ONLY ONE POUND OF FAT!!! ---Author Unknown