I Can Do This!

This week I finished reading Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters by John Maxwell. What a great, practical read. I can't even remember why it first requested it from the library but I am sure happy I did. The parallels between the teachings in this book and the principles of the I Ho Chuan were evident page after page.

One of the principles that hit home hardest was that in order to live intentionally and add value to the life of others, I must first value myself. 

"It's impossible to consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with how we feel about ourselves on the inside. Self image dictates daily behaviour. How we see ourselves regulates what we consistently do. "

How I see myself has been a constant struggle in my life. It has dictated so many decisions, actions and lack there of. It has caused me to do many things for all the wrong reasons. It has caused me to not do too many things because of self doubt. The IHC was nearly one of those things. 

Looking back to a year ago it's hard to believe all that has changed. I was tired of living scared. I was ready for change. I thought I was insane for jumping into something that looked clearly impossible. 50,000 push-ups!  A year ago I could hardly do 3 great push-ups in a row. A year later, I am physically in much the same place. Yet mentally I am miles ahead. I now know I can do 50,000. Even with all my challenges this year, I did more push-ups that I could have fathomed back then. I had to fight my lack of belief daily but in that fight I found I can do so much more than I imagined.   Now that I have that sense of self belief, there will be no stopping me once I am healthy!  This is a gift that I am taking with me into the Year of the Monkey.