A lot has changed for me over the past two years. Probably the biggest change, however, is my weight. I have lost around 53 pounds. It has been a big accomplishment—something I didn’t believe I could do. I am so close to reaching my goal, but as I approach the final leg of my weight loss journey—the last 20 pounds—I find myself having to dig deep and grasp the last reserves of motivation in me. You see, these last 20 pounds are difficult. They don’t want to go away. In fact, I have lost the same five pounds again and again over the last three months, actually totaling the 20 pounds I need to shed.

The older I get...correction. The wiser I get, the more I realize that life—interacting with people, problem solving, emotions, drama, all of it—is all in how you look at it. Often, a situation will arise that makes me mad at first, but once I simmer down and examine what’s fully going on, I see it in a different light. I think most of us do this. 

A month ago, you, me and millions of others welcomed in the New Year with renewed hopes, dreams, aspirations and…resolutions. We were filled with zeal and exuberance. The energy on the starting line of 2015 was palpable, as if we were all in the starting gates at the Kentucky Derby. It was glorious and exciting!

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind me, which included two straight months of agonizing early deadlines, I finally feel I have a moment to take a breather. Relaxation doesn’t come often or easy for me, so I cherish the moments I get to just breathe in and breathe out and actually notice I’m doing it.