Strength to Endure.

In May or June of this year I bought the Walk at Home video by Leslie Sansone, WALK AWAY THE POUNDS! It’s a 3 mile fitness walk, and I mean FITNESS. She throws everything in that three mile walk, and a very good “cool down” at the end. I love it! But not so much at first, lol.

 I had used her video’s before, but with little success. After my knee replacement surgery in January, I needed to get moving without pain, something I hadn’t experienced in a number of years. I started out slowly, but I started…One of my problems has been to start and stop, start and stop, failing to  follow through, without completing and sticking to the task I started. A good friend of mine, the late Bishop Robert Pruitt said, “A good start is good, but that’s all it is”. I understand what he meant, and it’s true. I needed strength to endure, to continue, to finish, to persevere.

2017 has been a good for me, I have completed some things I have longed to complete. I have been able to “follow through” on a lifestyle change that has changed my life, and I can walk three sweaty miles nonstop at least 3 or 4 times a week! Oh, lest I forget I can walk over 10,000 steps a day! That’s BIG for me, and yes I’ve lost pounds and inches, and can fit in clothes I dragged from Nashville, Tn…haha. Sometimes it’s good to keep some things..

I got serious about this video in June, I would follow the program, and then sit down, not even completing a quarter mile or less. But the interesting phenomenon, was I kept going, I would get back up and start doing the exercises as best I could. Finally, I could walk a mile, I mean I did ALL the exercises, I was so proud of myself. Then on to the second mile, the intensity increased and I kept going, sometime stopping and starting again. When I was able to complete the first two miles, I was getting stronger and stronger, I could feel more endurance, I could hardly believe what I was feeling and doing.. Then the day came when I got to that third mile..oh my goodness, I was pumped!

It took me awhile, but on July 6, 2017 I finished my first 3 SWEATY MILES, and the cool down. I remember so well because it was on Loria’s birthday, I had completed a task, I had persevered, I had finished something! The year is swiftly coming to a close, and I’m still walking at least three fitness miles, three or four times a week, plus walking outside. I thank God for strength to endure, He gives me the strength…I have to endure. I could have given up, I could have thrown in the towel, I could have said “it’s too hard, I’m too old, I’m too fat”.  I thank God, and myself for persevering…for hanging in when I wanted to quit.

My next goal is to finish my first book. I started writing it several years ago, I made great strides with it this year, but it’s still not completed. I will take these life lessons and use them to finish my book. PRESERVE!