Pleasure in the PROGRESS

     When I walked off the stage on Saturday I had two main thoughts.  The first, "beer me."  The second, "well shucks."  While the first thought was settled within a few hours (once it hits your lips it just tastes so good) the second has taken me a couple days to process.

I placed second which is a bit of a funny thing for the most obvious reasons.  You were one step away from first.  You were second best.  One other person did "better" than you.  But it's also wonderful for those exact same reasons.  So close yet so far. 

I was a little ashamed and upset with myself that I was even disappointed, where did all this "pleasure in the process" talk go?!  Why couldn't I be estatic with an amazing weekend and pretty impressive results?  I couldn't really resolve these thoughts until a couple days later when I was looking through old photos on my phone.  Thankfully, I got myself one of them there smartphones right before this show last year.  So I had the pictures I had taken exactly one year prior.  Same location, same time of day, just one year later.  I put two pictures side by side, this year and last, and it came together for me.  I'm competing against myself and that's a show I hope I NEVER win. 

Looking at the pictures next to each other helped me come to terms with the placement I got: I could see with clear eyes that I looked better this year and that's wonderful.  It also helped me understand that this sport and even this lifestyle is never-ending.  There's always room for improvement and progress.

When you see yourself putting down that snickerdoodle when you would've gobbled it up like Cookie Monster last year, pat yourself on the back.  If you're not flexible, grab a friend to do it.  Because you deserve it.  When you lace up your sneakers for a walk outside when you would've flopped on the couch last year, give yourself another pat (or round up that loyal friend).

But take note: it aint ovah.  Progress is wonderful as it means you're in a better place than before.  But the thing about progress is that well, it can continue.  Der.  Think about what you've done so far and smile.  Think about what you can do in the future and smile.  This sport and living a healthy lifestyle is a personal journey that can have wonderful milestones along the way.

This past weekend was a little milestone for me.  I got to see, in a specific picture, what changes the human form can make in a year through consistent healthy choices day after day.  It's awesome.  But I have another picture I'm going to add next year and I have some work to do to make that happen.

This journey is filled with bumps, hills, fatigue, and setbacks, but then you get a milestone.  And I'm telling you, those are worth every damn pothole you come across.