Keep Moving Forward

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The things people say often punch you in gut when they’re said and come back to haunt your mind when you least expect it, most often in the middle of the night.

When this happens, keep moving forward.

People will never understand your total perspective or never fully share your motivation. Who cares? Keep moving forward.

Don’t let stupid comments by annoying people keep you from doing what you know you’re supposed to be doing. They may come from an enemy, a friend, boss, spouse, neighbor, social media acquaintance, best friend, or your mama. It doesn’t matter. Keep moving forward.

When you are criticized, it means you are doing something. You are the one on stage, behind the pulpit, on the treadmill, on the field, or in the studio. You are the one with the ball, the microphone, the canvas, the instrument, or the computer.

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Steven Pressfield once wrote, It’s better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.

Keep moving forward.

When you don’t want to get up in the morning, get up and keep moving forward.

When you want to give up, don’t quit. Keep moving forward.

When you’re tired and sore and beaten and bruised. Keep moving forward.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said,

If you can’t fly, then run.

If you can’t run, then walk,

If you can’t walk, then crawl,

But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.

Keep Moving Forward
You control what you do. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep moving forward.

The more I drink, the more I drink…

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There’s a Blake Shelton country song with the line: The more I drink, the more I drink. I know Blake is singing about alcoholic beverages and that’s never really been a problem for me. But my problem comes in a much tamer form of poison, soda, or more specifically Coca-Cola.

I’ve officially been “off” of soda for 3 days.

I wish I could say that it’s been easy to walk away from them, because that would be a terrible, bald-faced lie.

The truth is, I think about drinking a Coke at least 3 or 4 times an hour, especially if I’m out and about, stopping to get gas or at a fast food joint.

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Someone told me the other day that I should just start drinking coffee and I would have no problem at all. The problem with me doing that is that switching to coffee would mean that I would have to drink it. Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, I love the smell of coffee in the morning, but once I put it to my mouth, I want to gag. Diet soda, even Coke Zero repulses me as well. I like tea, but only Texas/Arkansas sweet tea, which is way too much sugar for me.

The only alternative I could see was to drop caffeine altogether, so that’s what I did.

The headaches and shaking are gone, but it still feels like something’s missing. I suppose the next few days will tell.

We shall see.

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I Blew It!

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A week ago, I shared my plan with the world to wean myself off of Coca-Cola. Some of you agreed to help keep me accountable. Others of you encouraged me online or in person. Here’s my Coke consumption status update:

I BLEW IT!!!!!

My plan looked something like this:

Wednesday: 32 oz

Thursday: 28 oz

Friday: 24 oz

Saturday: 20 oz

Sunday: 16 oz

Monday: 12 oz

Tuesday: 10 oz

Wednesday: 8 oz

Thursday: 0 oz.

My actual consumption looked more like this:

Wednesday: 32 oz

Thursday: 28 oz

Friday: 978 oz

Saturday: 24 oz

Sunday: 20 oz

Monday: 20 oz

Tuesday: 20 oz

Wednesday: 16 oz

Ok, so I went a bit overboard on Friday. (I actually just lost count. I didn’t actually drink 978 oz. This disclaimer is for the extremely literal readers)

I actually meant to cut down on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, except I spent those days in a hospital waiting room because of the surgery of a family member. Unfortunately, the hospital administration had made a deal with Satan to only sell Pepsi products. If I’m weaning myself off of Coke, a Pepsi is just not going to do. A Dr. Pepper might suffice if I’m in extreme pain, but Pepsi, ugh. So, I drove down the street to a convenience store that only sold 20 oz. Coke products.

But, now, as you can see, I’m back on track. I have managed to cut my Coca-Cola consumption in half.

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Here’s my revised plan for the remainder of the week:

Wednesday: 16 oz

Thursday: 12 oz

Friday: 10 oz

Saturday: 8 oz

Sunday: 0 oz

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone.  Please keep the communication flowing.  It’s helping me so much.

 

My Worst Weakness

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Since I restarted my blog a couple of weeks ago, people, especially those who know me well, have asked me one gut wrenching question:

“If you’re trying to lose weight again, why are you still drinking Coke?”

I understand (and somewhat appreciate) the concern. If I’m going to go to all the trouble to work out on the elliptical machine everyday (or almost everyday) for 45 to 55 minutes, why would I possibly kill much of the results by consuming so many empty calories, not to mention the impact of the carbonation on my body?

Here are my excuses, er, responses for my continued Coke consumption:

  1. I look so much better in photos with a Coke bottle in my hand.
  2. Drinking soda gives the fat around my midsection a sporting chance.
  3. I can’t afford water.
  4. None of your business.

Honestly, I know my next step in losing 45 at 45 is to stop drinking soft drinks altogether. So, over the next several days, I’ll be slowly weaning myself from my favorite beverage using the following amounts:

 

Today: 36 oz.

Wednesday: 32 oz.

Thursday: 28 oz.

Friday: 24 oz.

Saturday: 20 oz.

Sunday: 16 oz.

Monday: 12 oz.

Tuesday: 10 oz.

Wednesday: 8 oz.

Thursday: 0 oz!!!!!!

I invite you all to keep me accountable.

How I’m Learning Spanish For Free

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Hola, mis amigos!

My third goal for my 45th year is to learn Spanish. After speaking to some of you, I believe it is time to clarify this goal.

I’ve discovered a free app called Duolingo, which assists individuals in learning other languages through a steady, systematic process. Several months ago, I spent about a month working through the Duolingo App and made it up to level four.

What I plan to do this year is start over at level one and work all the way through level 25. I started over yesterday and just this evening progressed to level two. I may do another level over the next couple of days since I’ve already been at this level once before, however, my plan is to simply learn at a slow and steady pace.

If you would like to join me in learning Spanish, check out Duolingo in your smart phone App store or online at www.duolingo.com.

Related Posts:

Hello 45!

Lose 45 at 45

Sit Still! No Talking

Sit Still! No Talking!

 

 

 

 

 

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It was 1980. My family moved to the country. I thought I was going to love it, but I didn’t. In fact, it was an incredibly hard transition for me. I was in 6th grade, and for the first time in my life, I began to get in trouble on the school bus. Before long, I was assigned a seat and ordered not to speak to anyone.

For months, I rode the bus in silence, avoiding those around me by reading novels from the school and public library. Somehow, during those long bus rides, those stories became my companions. Often, I would continue reading during lunch, study hall and even at home. Before long, I forgot about my punishment and looked forward to my bus rides because it afforded me the opportunity to read.

I want to write a middle grade novel. Hopefully, the stories I include will help some young person out there develop a life long love of reading.

Lose 45 at 45

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When I was in my 20, my dad described me to others as being busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest.  It that was true then, it’s cold hard fact at 45.  Therefore, I knew it was going to be hard to find time to workout.  It turns out there’s plenty of time if you get to the gym at 5:30 AM.

In case you missed it yesterday, I am trying to lose 45 lbs while I’m 45.  I reported to everyone yesterday that I was 220 lbs, which is high considering my height and build.  However, I weighed this morning and realized that I am actually only 217!  So, only 42 lbs to go.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been going to the gym at least 4 times a week, building up my time on the elliptical machine.  I like the elliptical machine because it works out your arms, chest, glutes, and legs at the same time.  Then, if you add an appropriate amount of resistance, you’re not just doing cardio, but building muscle as well.

My first step is to continue exercising on the elliptical for at least 45 minutes for 4 to 5 times a week, then begin adding additional weight training.  This morning, I stopped at just past 48 minutes.  🙂

If you have exercise advice for me, I invite you to comment.

Related Post:  Hello 45!  https://johnjfrady.com/2014/06/09/hello-45/

 

 

Hello 45!

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Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 45. I celebrated in my usual way: moping and denial, depending on whether or not presents were involved.

However, now that I’m coming to accept my age, I need to move forward with some personal life development. You see, every strengths assessment I’ve ever taken describes me as an achiever. Therefore, it’s logical to say I need to give myself something to achieve this year.

So here are three challenges I’m giving myself.

  1. Lose 45 lbs. (I now weigh 220 lbs)
  2. Write and publish a middle grade novel. (I’ve actually started this, but am still learning)
  3. Learn Spanish (I took a semester of Spanish in high school, but that was in the 1980’s)

Over the next year, I’ll be sharing my depressing lows and ecstatic highs on my blog (johnjfrady.com) as I strive to develop my subgoals and action plans for these personal challenges. I invite you to join me on my journey.

One lesson about everything that can help make anything better

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I’ve learned lots of lessons.

Some of the best are:

  1. Trust God in everything.
  2. Don’t forget to pray.
  3. Take good care of your health.
  4. Family is very important
  5. Avoid the yellow snow.

In a recent round table discussion, I said, “The most important lesson I’ve learned in the past year is everything impacts everything.”

“What does that mean?” asked one of my colleagues.

Now I’ve never been accused of being the quickest with verbal responses, so I said, “Well, it means that everything…impacts…everything else.”  Everyone was overwhelmed with my dramatic pauses and word addition.

But now I’ve had time to think about what I should have said.

It all begins with seeds.

The Apostle Paul wrote Do not be deceived:  God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

From thefreedictionary.com, I gleaned that sowing means to scatter seed over the ground for growing.  The same source defines reaping as harvesting a crop.  So, Paul was basically saying that the seed you spread determines the type of crop that you harvest.

In other words, whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

In the movie Second Hand Lions, young Walter is sent to live with his eccentric uncles Garth and Hub.  Deciding to plant a garden, they purchase a variety of seeds from a travelling salesman.  After preparing the soil, they plant the seeds in rows and wait patiently for their crops to produce.

One day, as they are hoeing the weeds from their garden, Garth comments, “Think about how good all these vegetables are going to taste.  Peas, beans, squash, tomatoes…”

Even as his uncle is speaking, Walter notices that every plant on every row is almost identical.  When he points it out to his uncles, they are dumbfounded.

“Hey,” said Walter, pointing to the row of corn.  “This one looks right.”

“Well,” said Garth, “All those seeds did look alike, come to think of it.”

Hub throws his hoe and shakes his head.  “Corn, corn, corn,” he says, “Nothing but corn.”

Whatever one sows, that he will also reap.

The older I get, the more I realize that the same is true in every area of our lives.  What we sow determines what we reap:

–       In Finances

–       In Friendships

–       In Business Ventures

–       In our Spiritual Lives

–       In our Families

–       In our Work

–       In our Homes

–       In our Bodies

–       In our Minds

–       In Everything

Everything that we do matters.  Every decision we make, every day we work late, every book we read, every cookie we sneak, every movie we watch, every sit-up we avoid, every dollar we spend, every prayer we pray (or don’t pray), every thought we have – they’re all connected.

They join together to form an enormous tapestry that identifies us to the world and to ourselves.

What do you want your tapestry to portray?  What decisions are making that will change it’s look forever?  Are you weaving something into your tapestry that you don’t want to be there?

Here’s the deal:

Everything Matters.  Everything.

Whatever one sows, that he will also reap.

What are you going to do about it?