So It Begins

  I am pleased as punch to share that I've lost approximately three pounds in my first week of low carb eating.

 What's really awesome about this is that, ahem, I lost it even though I did not perfectly behave myself. I was merely my active, dog-walking (often treadmill as well) self, and just used some self discipline. Even though the first two days I felt like I was going to go crazy due to sugar withdrawals.

 What's even MORE awesome is that I was FINALLY able to cross pounds off of my chart (which I spent over an hour making, a few weeks ago, thank you very much). There is no feeling like that. It is incredibly motivating. The act of taking a fat black Sharpie and scrawling large black Xs across the pounds that are between myself and being fit and able to pole again (weight loss will help my back heal much faster) is more liberating and rewarding than treating myself to a sundae when I'm in a happy mood.

 I've also reached a milestone in building my business. Yeah, I want to talk about this for a minute. Probably more than a minute.
 I'm finally, after being tough at it for a little over a month, starting to get paid through building my business.
 I will say right here and now that building a business isn't easy. Nothing worth it ever is. But there is nothing more rewarding than watching your income go up and up, even in baby steps, as a result of your own ass-busting. No one held your hand and -made- you accomplish that.  No one baby-sat you or did the work for you. YOU did that. You drove yourself. Around neighborhoods, to friends and family's homes, and through every no, every door shut in your face, every hardship or scoff that you encountered.
  And THAT, is a darn good feeling. To be my own boss, not have anyone over my shoulder telling me the "right" or "wrong" way to do what I'm doing, exchanging ideas with my best friend (who happens to be my husband), to look forward to the day when he won't need to go to his job every day, we can work together, take trips whenever we like, and not worry about how to cover our bills each month.

  I've started listening to Jillian Michaels' book, Unlimited. In it, she talks about how we have been programmed, whether it be by family, society, friends, or anyone else, to settle in this life. To work at jobs we hate, settle for less than we truly want, because that's just how life is. When we dare to desire or dream, we are directly or subversively instructed to take it down several notches, play it safe, and squelch what we really want because, after all, it's arrogant and unrealistic to dream. The audacity of it! Or, we are mocked by others who are afraid to take risks themselves and the very thought of risking anything makes them uncomfortable. They never took risks and dared to dream, therefore your dreams must be slammed down, too. John Eldredge also addresses this issue in his book, Desire.
  I want to encourage you. If you have dreams, they CAN be realized. If you want to do something, do it! Only you are the one standing in your own way.

  I was once told that a business is built mostly on personal growth. It's true! If not, you'll have a horribly hard time getting anywhere if you don't want to grow as a person.

 Happy business-building, and happy low-carbing it!

~Me.