The Devil’s In The Process

I was driving this week and saw farmers out working their fields. I love this time of year! We had a really wet snow the other day that handed our schools a snow day. My child was rather pleased. I was just happy it’s April and there was no trace of snow 24 hours later. And I was really happy with the moisture that our farmers received from it. I cannot imagine the stress of being a farmer. There are SO many variables to consider when planting, tending to the crops, and then eventually harvesting those crops. I am certain I couldn’t handle that stress. Truly. I can’t handle the stresses in my life as they are but I know our paychecks are pretty steady and consistent. That suits me. Schedules and routines and consistency are when I perform at my best and thrive in things. I do well when I know that if I do A, B, and C, then X, Y, and Z will inevitably follow. I know I am not alone in that! I am very conscientious and detail oriented. Nothing wrong with how others do things, but this is just how it works best for me. But sometimes I tend to focus a little too much on the results that SHOULD come from what I am doing instead of just keeping my head down and doing what I know I should. This is why I am fairly certain I couldn’t do the job of a farmer! Today, however, I am specifically thinking about my weight loss and own personal health journey. I do know that this applies in pretty much every area of life. And if you’ll follow me, I’ll touch on some of those things, also.

Most of my life, I have heard and believe fully that God is in control of all things. You’d think that alone would be enough for us not to worry. But I know that doesn’t always stop it. I think I have done a good job of trusting Him in most things. I get “concerned” about things from time to time, but I don’t really “worry” about much of anything. Worry won’t change anything. It never has and never will. If you ask my husband, HE is the “worrier” in our family. I am more of a “take it as it comes” kind of person. I think there are times when he wants me to worry a little more about things. ANY of the things, really. He is better now that he used to be in understanding that just because I don’t spend time worrying about things doesn’t mean I don’t care about them. Greatly, even. I was raised by a mom who helped me understand that if you’ve got time to worry, you’ve got time to pray. She also said, “If you’ve got time to lean (if you’re bored) you’ve got time to clean.” But that’s another lesson in itself! Haha. On the other hand, though, I have spent a lot of my life “worried” about how others perceive me. What do they think about me when they think about me? My dad told me once when I was a teenager that I wouldn’t worry about what others thought about me if I knew how little they did. What was he saying? He simply meant that people really don’t spend a lot of time thinking about others in a negative way . . . and really in ANY way at all. We all have SO much of our own crap to deal with on a day to day basis that we don’t accomplish anything worthwhile by dwelling on others. 

We taught our boys growing up that if they did certain things, they could expect certain results. In their sports lives especially. If they showed up, worked hard, listened to constructive criticism, did the drills and put in the work on their own, things would happen for them. Doors would open because they would grow their skill and their ability would eventually match their determination. I do believe that for most things, this is true. I read a Bible that tells me that through God ALL things are possible. We have probably all heard it said that those who are saying it can’t be done shouldn’t get in the way of those who are already doing it. Gut punch right there . . . for every time I said, “I CAN’T do this, or that . . . ” In my house, growing up, there were words you just didn’t say and “can’t” was one of those words. And we employed those same rules with our boys when we started our family. 

What does all this have to do with my weight loss? Well, I have been burned out. I wrote about that a couple blogs ago. I needed a break. Well, I took one. I slid backwards. And now I am refocusing and ready to go again. I desperately needed that break. It is hard work losing 150 pounds. I am here to testify to that. However, I am ready to get back on it and get to where I want to be. But the thing I have realized is this. Somewhere along the line I became very focused on the RESULTS instead of the process. Along with believing that God is in control of all things comes another belief of mine – I do my part in whatever it is I am doing and I CAN and NEED TO trust God with the results. The results aren’t mine to “worry” about. I can only do what I can do. I need to walk and exercise not because it’s going to make me thin or get me sexy looking or anything other than it will make me healthy. I need to eat better not because I am going to achieve a certain level of “hotness” along the way, but because for my body, mind and spirit to operate and perform at optimal levels they all need to be nourished with the right things. I need my Bible every day. I need to pray every day. I need to work on improving myself every single day. But for no other reason than it is the right thing to do. Somewhere along the line, I left the process for the picture in my mind of what things “could” look and be like someday. And when the numbers on the scale and the size in my jeans belie that picture in my mind, it’s very easy to become so completely frustrated and disillusioned that quitting seems reasonable. Why try if I can’t achieve what the ultimate picture in my mind says I should be able to achieve? 

I have spent a lot of time this week thinking about processes. The process of the farmer. The process of the athlete. The process of the mom raising her children. The process of spiritual growth. The process of weight loss. They all have one thing in common. They have to find the things and processes that work best for them, employ those things and trust the process to bring the desired results. Just like hail can wipe out a crop, many variables exist that have the ability to derail any weight loss plan or anything else for that matter. And I can’t allow my mind to be solely focused on the end result. I may never get to the goal weight I have in mind. I may never reach the pant size I really want to. Not because I am limiting myself. Not at all. I have a tendency to set some pretty lofty . . . even outlandish . . . goals for myself in all areas of my life. Things that are unreachable at times. But if I miss that goal, I am still a heck of a lot closer to it than I was when I started. Please understand I believe goals are important. But, It’s the things that fall between where I am right now and where my goals will take me that are worthy of my focus and attention. The result doesn’t matter if I am not doing everything in the middle of the process to make sure I have the best chance at getting to where my mind has pictured me in the end. If you can just trust yourself enough to go through the process then know that you can trust God with the results.Take the time to figure out what works best for you. Once you find it, just stick to it. Focus on the day-to-day. The rest will take care of itself.

#loveyourjourney #youreworthit #bettermewithNewYouCBD #Endo30 #itsuptoyou