Had some technical difficulties with the post from Friday. As you all know, I’m training for my first 5k in May. Friday was the first “long” run. Here’s a video from Friday Morning.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
A Ten-Year Old
My wife & I watched our daughter compete yesterday at the state gymnastics meet. She had fun. She laughed, smiled. Not only did she compete she placed 1st on the beam, 2nd on the vault, 6th on the bars, 7th on the floor and 3rd all around. Out of all the gymnasts in her division in the state, she placed 3rd!! Not bad for just her second year of competitive gymnastics. What makes it more impressive is the journey she took to get there.
Quick recap:
At last year’s state meet, she left in tears at her performance. I vividly remember her coach telling her “It was okay. You did well this year. These girls were older and you held your own. You’re going to work hard and next year you’re going to come back and kill it at state. Why? Because you’re a beast.”
Well over the course of the year, I watched this ten-year old cry, fall endless times off the beam. (sometimes she got up immediately, other times she lay there a for a moment). I’ve watched her battle fear and self-doubt. Not just any kind of fear but the kind of fear that paralyzes you and doesn’t allow you to move forward. Each time I’d ask her the same question. “Do you want to quit?” Each time,with tears in her eyes, she responded “No.” Some times she responded quickly. Other times she had to think about it briefly.
I watched her decide to face her fears, take action, and finally overcome her fears. I watched her do back flip after back flip until she was able to do it herself.
She frequently met disappointment and frustration with an attitude of relentlessness.
So to see her standing on the podium yesterday brought unbelievable pride. Not because she placed so highly. More so because she learned that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She’s stronger than she knew was. She learned that fear isn’t real. She learned that if you keep fighting and working hard, good things will come.
Your goal is probably not to be a gymnast. However I’m sure that you’ll experience some of the same things she did while you’re pursuing your own goals and dreams.(weight loss related or anything else) When the road gets a little tough (and it will) remember the 9-year-old who left the state meet in tears. Through hard work, dedication, and refusing to quit, she became the 10-year-old who left the state meet a champion smiling ear to ear.
New Monthly Updates
Okay, I’ve been thinking how to make this blog more. More what you may ask? Just more in general. More helpful. More inspiring. More accountable for me.
One of the things requested in e-mails was more pictures. I’m working on that. In the mean time, what I’ve decided to do is post monthly updates in pictures. It’ll be a picture of me at the beginning of each month. The picture will be taken in the same clothes so you follow my progress monthly.
I chose a shirt that is painted on. (for the time being) Out of all my too big and loose-fitting shirts, why did I choose this one? Well, #1 I need the motivation to do more. #2 It would be difficult to see that I’m actually making progress in an already loose shirt. So I chose a shirt that was already a size smaller than what I wear and has shrunk quite a bit because I threw it in the dryer. Once again being vulnerable and forcing myself to be accountable. (Hey it worked the first time. So here goes!)
Click to see April’s Monthly update.
fyi – Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Brand New Antuan 