Live for Today (Remembering 9/11)

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"For me and my family, personally, September 11 was a reminder that life is fleeting, impermanent, and uncertain.  Therefore, we must make use of every moment and nurture it with affection, tenderness, beauty, creativity, and laughter."  - Deepak Chopra

I remember that morning, September 11, 2001, as clearly as I remember the moment I heard that President John F. Kennedy had been shot.  I was lost in disbelief that anything like this could happen here in America, the strongest nation in the world.  But it did. 

My next thoughts raced to the people who woke up that morning, dressed for work, had their cup of coffee as they raced out the door to get to work on time.  Such an ordinary day ... but ultimately became a day that changed America and the rest of the world forever.

As Deepak points out, life is fleeting, impermanent, and uncertain.  There are no guarantees that we will have tomorrow.  So we must live for today.  Use the time you have wisely ... say "I love you" to those you love ... don't waste time being angry or hateful ... appreciate the beauty around you ... thank God for your life, health, and love.  As my husband always says: "Live every minute for all that is in it, for the life of a pirate is short!"

As I close this post I am sending prayers and loving thoughts to the victims, first responders, their families, and to anyone who witnessed those tragic moments, and to all of America.  We have changed, we have lost our innocence ... now it is time to realize that we need to work toward world peace more than ever.  TYL

Conquering that Mountain

I woke up this morning to this quote:

"Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it.  The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use."    
- Earl Nightingale

I realize that releasing 130+ pounds is going to take some time.  When I think about how much time it is going to take, the task seems daunting.  Then I remember a little saying I learned in Overeaters Anonymous (OA): One day at a time. One pound at a time. 

There is no way I am going to release pound number 130 until I have released pound number 1!  Logical?  Here is an example of what I mean.  If I want to climb a mountain, I have to do it a step at a time.  Some of those steps are going to be baby steps ... some giant leaps ... and still some will be a slip backward ... and sometimes I am just going to have to sit down and rest.  If I focus on the peak of that mountain (my goal) and keep heading in the right direction I will reach that goal as long as I don't give up.  The same is true of releasing my excess weight. 

So here is to conquering that mountain!!!