For Mom

As I'm beginning to connect and discuss with friends and family about this blog and my app, I've noticed I continuously run into the same question, "What makes you so interested?"

I've always loved helping people, from standing in the fridge to help mom get it cleaned in our old house when I was about 2 or 3, to my teenage years having an annual mission trip with my youth group, to now, just a genuine and curious heart wanting others to not have to go through what I went through - feeling lost and like I wasn't on my own path because there was no path to follow.

Growing up, there was this very important person in my life. Every year she would make it a point to say, "This is my year." To me and all the people around me, her issue wasn't an issue to us because we didn't see her the way she saw herself. The way we saw her was a selfless human being who would put everyones needs before her own and we all loved that about her. To herself, she didn't have that confidence; every year it was a personal goal of hers to lose weight. I hated that she saw herself in such a negative light, I wanted her to see herself as the amazing woman everyone else saw her to be and there was only one option for that to happen - confront your own mother.

I don't remember the exact day, but I do remember the conversation and having the utmost feeling of fear in my heart from the thought of being grounded for the rest of my life, because when you're telling your own mom the things she needs to hear rather than what she wants to hear, that'll introduce you to fear quite immediately.

"Mom, I'm done hearing about it. If you're just going to talk about it and not be about it, then I don't want to hear about it. Trust me, I love you with my whole being, but from this moment forward I will not listen to you complaining about your weight unless it has to do something with complaining about losing the weight."

...

...

"You're right."

Flash forward to today, she has just reached her biggest goal and all I keep hearing about is, "Man, these clothes have gotten so big!"

No Mom, you just put your words into action and you're the one changing, not your clothes, silly.

Hearing about her success is what really sparked the light in me that that is what I want to do with my life. Push people to their goals even if that means they won't like me for a period of time. I'm not the type of person that will sit here and just encourage you. I'm going to tell you the things that you don't want to hear, but rather the things that you do need to hear. The things that will change your eating habits, that will change your relationships, your career path, and most importantly, the things you need to hear when you reach your obstacles and think about giving up.

As I'm writing this, I can't say much about it but I'm not where I want to be - physically or mentally. But regarding what I said earlier in this blog post, about there being no path - that's the thing. You make your own path. If you want to be lazy go ahead and walk through the weeds, but if you put the work in your path will be lined with the most beautiful wildflowers with the greatest scenery and the best path laid down for the next person to go down - as a guide.

You are going to have breaking points - as a matter of fact I had about three just today, but am I going to just give up and let go of my biggest dream? Honestly, I thought about it. However, I hope you sitting there reading this just goes to show that I did the exact opposite. My mom made me proud, and it's time for me and you to do the same.

What's your purpose?

• My family
• My friends
• Other - send me an email!