Well, for the last month I have been actively engaged in what I have been calling "Jedi Training Academy." Some of you have been wondering what this is, precisely, I'm sure. It's been a lot of things: meditation, yoga, writing, and doing a lot of personal work on me. It's been very rewarding. One of the best times to do some of this stuff, though, is while hitting the gym, which I have faithfully been doing almost every work day at lunch - the schedule looks sort of like this:
Monday: arms, chest, and back: mainly lifting weights, but occasionally some other exercises, too - rope pulls, etc.
Tuesday: run a 5k
Wednesday: Same as Monday.
Thursday: Wild card day. Sometimes, it's taking a class, sometimes, it's core workout...sort of depends on what I'm feeling.
Friday: arms/chest/back again.
And just about every weekday, I'm waking up with crunches (60) and pushups (40-50) and a few bridges, or other such things (whatever moves me). I'm also getting a walk of about a mile and a half every afternoon, and of course, random bike rides on weekends, weekdays, etc.
Late last week, I hit the target weight of 225 lbs, and my waist is just under a 35. Now, weight is just a number, really, and if it's in shape, the number shouldn't much matter - but there simply exists no reason to be heavier than 225.
But this morning I saw something that I almost couldn't believe: I saw my reflection in the mirror, and I didn't see what was wrong. I saw what was right. I saw what was going well, what this past month has been doing for me, physically. I saw my faith being rewarded - faith in the process, faith in myself, and in this direction. For the first time ever, I didn't see the Fat Kid, or the Husky-sized kid, or anything like that. I saw what was buried under that image, and I liked it.
My physical fitness goals are not yet met, and so I will keep working - and that will likely see my weight going down some more - perfectly ok with that. I doubt I will ever see under 200 again, and since it's been since about 1991 since that's happened anyway, I've long ago made my peace with it.
Likewise, though, the meditation and yoga that I have been practicing (neither on a daily basis) have also been helping me - I have achieved a new level of balance and clarity that I previously could not - and I am just a beginner in these arenas. One area in particular is becoming more clear every day: daily writing. It's something I've tried to make stick in the past, but it never seems to work out right, mostly because I didn't think anything I had to say was worth reading. Frankly, that was a bunch of bullshit - and I listened to it for a long time. I'm done listening to it, and I am finished holding back the parts of me that I let atrophy.
I have learned much. Obi-Wan has taught me well. But, I am not a Jedi yet.
There's more to come from this journey. Stay tuned, and as always,
Thanks for reading.
Me
