Climbing Your Own Wall

My husband has decided that 2014 will be a year focused on us losing weight and becoming healthier. He says that we have to set a good example to the kids of health and fitness. According to him, it is our job to inspire them.

I did not react positively to this. My initial thought was, that this enterprise is doomed to failure. Inspiration? Me? Nope, sorry, there's obviously some mistake in your thinking, because there's no way I could ever be an inspiration to anyone. Besides, to inspire your kids, they have to see you do the healthy stuff, right? And honestly, I hate exercising in front of other people so much, it makes me want to cry. Not a great starting point.

Then I realised, my lack of confidence, my poor body image, my lack of fitness, all of these are like bricks that have built themselves up into a wall. This wall has made my world smaller, and in turn, because I so dread situations where I might have to do something physical in front of other people, even playing with my kids at the park, it is making my children's world small too.

But walls can be brought down. They can be chipped away at, little by little, day by day, until you can see what's on the other side. And eventually, you can perch on the top, reach out your hand to others, and pull them with you to what lies on the other side.