Be Quiet and LISTEN!

It took me getting laid-off from work to learn that sometimes you just have to be quiet and LISTEN. Listen to your body and what it is telling you when it comes to food, weight, fitness, and situations (you know, that feeling that you get in your gut telling you that something is wrong or something wonderful is about to happen). Listen to nature and revel in its beauty. (I knew nature had sounds, but I really didn't know what they were until I spent time every day enjoying it.) Most importantly, I learned to listen to God. During my daily walks, I asked God to show me my purpose in life. Show me why I was placed on the Earth and what good works He wanted me to do. I asked him to guide me in the direction that he wanted me to go. Guidance was something that I needed more than anything. Without my job, I felt lost. I didn't know how to be a full-time mother and wife. I didn't know how to begin a good job search on the internet. It had been 10 years since I had looked for a job. But I did know how to give thanks to God and how to ask for help when I really needed it most. I knew there must be a purpose for me, since God allowed me to make the choice to live on August 17, 2008 when I went into respiratory arrest after having my son. I just had no idea what that purpose was. I decided to listen with my heart and wait until God showed me what He had in store. As the summer and fall of 2010 progressed, I began to be contacted by distant family members, friends from long ago, and some people that I have never spoken to, all asking for advice and guidance with losing weight or becoming healthier. It soon became clear to me that my purpose is to help others- "pay it forward" for all of the blessings that my family and I have received. My 5K walks are one way that I have found to pay it forward. I am also committed to instilling the same spirit in my son. We collected pajamas for the Pajama Program instead of presents for Drew's birthday. We purchased toys for foster care children at Christmas (Drew LOVED buying toys for "the boys"). This year, we will continue those traditions and I plan to find a few more charitable activities that we can do. In addition to that, Zach Marcy (Owner/trainer with Synergize Fat Loss) and I are working on developing a Lifestyle Makeover Program to help people who are overweight, obese, and morbidly obese change their lifestyle to one of positivity, healthy eating, and exercise. I feel like this is the direction that God has led me and I am listening!