What I've Overcome...

I discovered the song "What I've Overcome" by Fireflight awhile back and I have to tell you that it is pretty meaningful to me. Especially the chorus (full lyrics at the end of the post):

If only you could see me yesterday
Who I used to be before the change
You'd see a broken heart
You'd see the battle scars

Funny how words can't explain
How good it feels to finally break the chains
I'm not what I have done
I'm what I've overcome

It's odd that after having lost 100+ pounds, I can look in the mirror and still see who I was back then. But the truth is that I shed that person with the weight. I am no longer who I was when I was so overweight that my life was in jeopardy. I couldn't play with my niece and nephews the way I wanted to. I had very little energy and even less stamina and endurance to walk or anything else. And let's not even think or discuss what my nutrition looked like.

It's funny how shedding that weight and that person has changed me. I won't lie, I have changed. I have gained more confidence, more strength, more speed, more endurance, more stamina, etc. I have gained a lifestyle that enables me to meet people I likely would never have talked to before because they were into fitness and I felt that they looked down on me.

There are a lot of days when I struggle with where I am because my motivation slips a bit and I get frustrated and don't feel great about myself. The problem is that I am trying to look at the big picture, at the road ahead and I have forgotten to acknowledge how far I have come. I don't feel like I need to dwell/focus on my past, however it is something I need to remember. I AM a different person. As my favorite Amplified Athletics' shirt states I am "Stronger Better Faster...Built Rebuilt".

It dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that when I got the new flowers on my tattoo, that I would never in a million years think I would have gotten one flower tattooed for running a half marathon...now I have 13! I used to set limits as to what I could and could not do. I have grown past those limits. I never would have thought that I would love hitting the gym and lifting weights either. And now I can go into the gym and push myself and lift with good form alone. I still love training with a partner because I tend to push harder, but I now feel confident enough to go in alone also.

I think sometimes we all forget our motivations and our willpower slips. We all stumble. We all fall down occasionally. But we have to remember that we still have the ability to get back up and keep on going. We cannot let our past keep us down, nor can we let the fear of our future keep us from achieving what we are truly capable of. We have to push ourselves each day, a little harder, a little further. The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. It doesn't work that way. If you want results, you have to make some changes. You have to allow yourself to grow and evolve.

So, what's holding you back? Acknowledge where you have been. Set goals (and mini goals) and constantly remember that the only thing keeping you from where you really want to be is you. We all have excuses. We all have fears. Rather than sitting on the couch stuffing your face with Oreos, get up, be active. Change your life little by little. No one said it would be easy but it is most definitely worth it. And know this, even though you may change and become someone different, you never really lose who you are, you just become a better, more fit version of yourself.

I shared this with some friends the other week. I had been told when I got the shih tzu puppies that I would never have running partners. Apparently no one ever informed Mayhem and Minion that they would not be my buddies. Those little girls LOVE sprinting. They LOVE getting the opportunity to run with me. And they are by far my favorite partners for HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).  Don't let others set limitations on what you can accomplish. Don't limit yourself! Push yourself.

My running partners :) We've got some speed here!

I encourage you to get out there and make every day count. Don't give up on yourself and don't let yourself be bogged down by excuses or anything else. Each day is brand new...put the mistakes in the past and move forward! Life is way too short to focus on your failures. Learn from the mistakes and never settle for mediocrity!

My running mantra I had tattooed on my right arm :)

What I've Overcome lyrics

I've got this passion
It's something I can't describe
It's so electric
It's like I've just come alive

I feel this freedom 
Now that my past is erased
I feel the healing
I've found the meaning of grace
(I found grace)

If only you could see me yesterday
Who I used to be before the change
You'd see a broken heart
You'd see the battle scars

Funny how words can't explain
How good it feels to finally break the chains
I'm not what I have done
I'm what I've overcome

I know I'll stumble
I know I'll still face defeat
These second chances will define me

So I'm moving forward
I'm standing on my two feet
I've got momentum
I've got someone saving me
(got someone saving me)

If only you could see me yesterday
Who I used to be before the change
You'd see a broken heart
You'd see the battle scars

Funny how words can't explain
How good it finally feels to break the chains
I'm not what I have done
I'm what I've overcome

I make mistakes and I might fall
But I won't break
I've got someone saving me

If only you could see me yesterday
Who I used to be before the change
You'd see a broken heart
You'd see the battle scars

Funny how words can't explain
How good it feels to finally break the chains
I'm not what I have done
I'm what I've overcome
I'm what I've overcome
I'm what I've overcome