Day 13 - Eye on the prize

When I was a little kid, I was given an allowance. By little kid, I mean 7 or 8 years old. By allowance, I mean a dollar or two. Living in the country, there were not many opportunities for a kid to spend his (hardly) earned money.

Once a week, the family would drive into town. Mom and dad would go grocery shopping and go to Wal-Mart and pick up what ever items were needed for the week to follow. My brother and I would spend most of that time walking the aisles of the toy department, then we would walk through the candy aisle and then make our way to the magazine section. The magazine section was not my idea.

My brother was, and still is, four years older than me. He would want to look through the magazines. I had to and most of the time wanted to hang with him. I had no interest in magazines at that time, but what's a kid to do?

What does this have to do with P90X? Hang out with me for a bit. I'll get there.

While walking the toy department, I would see some cool toys that I could buy with the few dollars in my pocket. I would also see even cooler toys that I could not buy at that time, but if I would save my money and add that to my allowance from the weeks to follow, I would have been able to buy them. I always caved in and bought the toy that I could afford. I never saved for the more expensive item. I guess I was too tempted for the sure thing...the bird in the hand as apposed to the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu grip on the wall. As a kid, it was not that big of a deal and not that difficult of a decision to make.

Here's where I am going with this. There are 2 things that are happening to me, now. There are 2 things that are coming about by the work I have put into this. The first is that I am dropping weight. In the last 13 days, I have lost about 15 pounds. I look better, I feel better and I know I am healthier. These are all great things.

The second thing is that I am seeing muscle tone and definition in my arms and legs. Of course, this also means I am getting stronger and healthier. ...again, great things.

I find that my situation is much like that of a 7 or 8 year-old boy in the toy department with a few dollars in his pocket. I can buy the cheap toy and leave the store with no money saved for next time. I can be happy with the weight that I have lost, feel proud of what I have accomplished and quit working my butt off.

I can save my money and add that to what is to come, later, and get a better toy. I can keep working with this program. I can get stronger, healthier and make a life altering commitment that I can continue for an amount of time that will be much greater than the amount of time that the better toy will last, before I break it, loose it or let the dog eat it.

I guess what I am saying is that it is so easy to be blinded by the drastic result that come quickly. If I allow that to happen, I will never know what I am really capable of doing.

I'm going to keep at it. Kung Fu grip...I am 77 days away!