Hiking the Y

This past week my good friend Rachel asked if I would join her on some hikes.  One of my unattainable goals has been to encorporate hikes into my exercise routine.  Hiking has always been so daunting to me.  And difficult, and a tad scary and truth be told it gives me a bit of anxiety.  I know how difficult it is to hike and in the past I've hated every step of the way.  Until I get to the top and realize what an amazing journey I just took myself on.  In the process not really grateful for my body and the ability it had to take me up the mountain.  I was always focused on what was wrong with my body, never being thin enough or good enough. 

This time was different.  I am in a new place.  I want to go on hikes cuz I know how wonderful they are for me mentally, physically and spiritually.  Both hikes that I went on the whole time I had a sense of gratitude for everything about my body.  My beating heart, sometimes it was racing so fast I needed to take a break to bring it back down again. My lungs, that they could provide me the oxigen I needed.  A lot of the time it felt like I was sucking wind, but at least I could still breath.  My legs that they were strong enough to carry my overweight body up both mountains.  And especially my eyes.  Taking in the breathtaking views of this magnificent world given to us by a loving Heavenly Father.

I have a long way to go before I can once again "attack" the mountain.  I realized that I have to eat the food of life, i.e. vegetables, for my body to truly function the way I desire it to, and the way Heavenly Father meant it to.  And that desire is to be light, fit and healthy.  I can no longer indulge in sweets.  I have to just remove them from my home and replace them with fruits.  Oranges, watermelon, apples and dried fruit.  A much better option.  I can do it.  I can feel it deep within my soul, the desire to change for the betterment of ME. 

I have lived in the UC almost all of my life and have NEVER hiked the Y.  It was a huge accomplishment for me.  I felt like I overcame a lot of fear reaching the top of that mountain.  If I can do that hike, I can pretty much do anything else that is challenging.  What an amazing blessing.  What an exciting time it is to be alive.