We often forget that changing ones life does not happen during a four minute montage. Yes, we could make a four minute montage of how we got into fitness and lost a lot of weight and ended up being shredded.
No, this is not how things go in life.
“Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor” ― Alexis Carrel
Change is a painful and slow process. You have to struggle against a million voices in your head telling you that you shouldn’t do this or that.
The act of bettering oneself is not to be taken lightly.
You need a lot of guts to start, and even more to keep going when everything seems to be falling apart.
I remember when I weighted a grand total of 55 kilograms. That’s 121 pounds. I wanted to change. To look at least decent enough, so people wouldn’t think I just got rescued from a tropical island where I spent the last three years with a ball by the name of Wilson.
Anyway.
I would watch these cool workout videos, in which the human equivalent of gods lifted many times their own weight, and I’d imagine one day looking like that… I’d imagine being able to do all those things, and own a pair of hard as rock abs, but…
I could only do a few push-ups. On my knees.
It took a while to be able to do more. To lift weights. To be able to run…
All of it was painful.
I remember how painful, and how tiring it was.
I also remember that when I noticed results, that was when I started welcoming the pain. Yes. I was proud to wake up the next morning feeling sore. I was a sign that I had worked hard.
Change is painful. Nothing glamorous about it.
But if you want it bad enough, you’ll manage to smile regardless of the pain you feel.
One day I decided to go for a run. It was raining… a bit. I remember that I couldn’t believe how fast I was running in such an effortless manner. It’s difficult to explain. It felt like flying. I felt as if I could jump and soar a hundred feet into the air. I felt as if I could race the cars that were passing me by on the street.
I was grinning like an idiot all during that run.
It felt so good that I almost forgot about the years of pain and humiliation and frustration and wanting to give up, again and again and again.
Good job. Change isn’t easy. In addition to it being a lot of work, it also occurs over time. A person can’t give up.
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Thank you, Kristie!
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Happy to read running out such a smile on your face. ☺
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I can relate to your journey of weight loss . I have been through quite a same process. Although I find that only one thing is harder than the change itself and that is maintaining the change. It has been such an effort to maintain my weight since I lost some pounds.
My lifestyle is pretty much okay but still it is hard to maintain.
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So true! And it does not get any easier as we get older! My life changed drastically 3 years ago , it was not easy but it has encouraged me to draw and discover qualities I was not aware I had!
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Love you almost forgot, as the forgetting is for getting, makes more room for the good stuff. You certainly worked to make more room for the good stuff.
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A great post!
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Thank you, Joseph!
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The 1st step is always the hardest when it comes to change. Dzięki for the read!
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Indeed! Thank you for reading.
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I loved the post. I have experienced this my whole life associated with socializing with people and having the right friends. It was hard getting to know people because I was bullied all my life and it was humiliating not connecting with people especially in high school. This post to me is inspiring to me personally.
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A truly inspirational piece of writing…
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Thank you!
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This is a good realization Cristian, I’m about to embark on a big leap of faith in my life for about 6 months from now, and knowing that it’s gonna be painful and hard, I still feel excited by the idea that I’m going to take control of my journey and start again, no matter what it takes, thank you for this reminder. More power to your blog!
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Ofcourse! Change is the constant thing in life but it come with a price. Thanks for the insight Cristian.
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Reblogged this on Akewusolaf.
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Yes from the pain comes perseverance, results, strength! Mindset is key. Never forget what we went through to get where we are.
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Exactly!
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Great post as always, Cristian!
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Thank you, Jonathan! Much appreciated.
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Love this post. It’s so true and empowering. Thank you!
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