Doors

This morning as I was doing my cool down on the Spinning bike after an awesome workout with my trainer, my mind started wandering...and what came to me was this:  since I opened the door to wellness, so MANY other doors have opened.  Truly...these days, it is almost like I am in a hallway just filled with doors waiting to be opened.  And the truth is, it all started with me just opening that Very.First.Door.

In February, when I first put my hand on the doorknob of the door that would lead me on this path to wellness, it would be a complete lie if I told you I felt anything other than absolute TERROR. No kidding!  Think about it:  I didn't embark on this path to wellness because I had just decided that I wanted to be healthy.  I was on the "Scared Straight" program!! It took me thinking that I was going to lose everything I'd ever cared about to actually make me take a look at the unhealthy choices I was making on a daily basis, and do something about it.  So, yeah:  there wasn't any other feeling going through that door other than sheer terror.  But, I opened the door (I was quite determined to go through it), and what I found were doctors and professionals that were willing to help me educate myself so that I could make more informed choices and therefore begin to take charge of my health.

The next door that I came to was the one that I encountered in March, and that was the door that led me to Dr. Ann.  This door came up rather unexpectedly, as I had been seeing a nutritionist through my doctor, and there came a point where I needed a little more "why" and a little less "just do it" so I could make this a PERMANENT LIFE CHANGE.  Thank Heavens my mother had the key to this door, and with the help of some friends, I ended up meeting with Dr. Ann and learning the "Why" to all of this...Walking through this door was out of necessity, and the feeling attached here was no longer terror, but more searching...I knew I needed to make changes, but I found that I needed to know why...it wasn't enough to just walk through blindly.  And in I went, and it has saved my life.

Once through the Dr. Ann door, I found myself falling into a lovely pattern -- I now knew what to eat, WHY to eat it (so important for me), and how to eat it.  So I bopped along on the path for a good long while, until I came to the next door:  FITNESS.  Now, I'm not going to lie to you: I am the girl who HATED P.E. in school, and physical activity has never been high on my list of fun things to go do!  So, this door, I walked through and then I walked back out. I walked through again...and then I found the door to "Too Busy" and stayed there for a while.  Then Dr. Ann told me that I would never achieve my goals if I didn't walk through the door and keep moving.  So, I did.  The feeling in walking through this door would have to be...Reluctant.  I knew I had to move to get the weight off.  I wasn't looking forward to it (ok: I was dreading it!), but I knew it was something I HAD to do.  So I turned the doorknob and walked on through...But on the other side of this door, people weren't walking, they were DANCING! I had found Zumba...and from there, I have now danced my way to my wonderful personal trainer, Ali.  Man...had I only known what lay on the other side of that door, I would have walked through it so much earlier!!!!  And so I danced for a while...and am still doing so...when I am not lifting weights!!

Dancing on down the path, the next door I came to was found while I was on vacation.  This door, another Physical Activity door (so you know I was still feeling a bit of trepidation...I don't know if it's because I'm overweight and have been for so much of my life, or if it's something else...but I always worry that everyone is going to be staring at me and thinking, "what's that fat girl think she's doing?" when I'm working out...) was not one I planned on opening, because I'd already opened the Zumba/Ali door, and felt like that was enough on that front!  However, in front of this door was a friend, so I decided to open it and see what was on the other side.  SPINNING was on the other side of this door...truly: one of my greatest loves and such a wonderful gift in my life.  (Yes: I know there are those of you that think I am INSANE for loving this, but LOVE it I do!!) This door opened up to a whole new world...and I am revelling in it!!  Spin, spin, spin...dance...dance...dance...

So, as I said...this morning, as I was doing my cool-down from my workout with Ali on the Spin bike, I started to think about all of the doors in my life.  Ones that I have walked through, and ones that have yet to be opened.  The truth is, I have no idea what the next door that pops up will be, or what lies on the other side of it.  In life, we seldom do.  But I do know this:  I will open it, and I will walk through, because if there is one thing I have learned on this journey and from walking through all of those open doors that lie behind me, it is this:  I have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

My hand is on the next doorknob...are you with me?