Backsliding // I have never hiked a long, trecherous journey up a mountain before. Most of my experience is from watching movies like Lord of the Rings or Everest. In these movies you never expect it to be an easy expedition. Who wants to watch Frodo be gifted a new piece of jewelry and just skip his way to a volcano top to throw it away, then skip his way back to the Shire to live our the rest of his days? That would be terribly boring. We need to see the hero face their deepest fears, overcome nearly impossible odds, and defeat the villain when it seems most unlikely. In Lord of the Rings, there were 3 movies and over 9 hours of obstacles, before ultimately making it to Mount Doom to destroy the ring. In Everest, it was reaching the summit of Mount Everest through the most treacherous of storms. All of these characters faced setbacks along the way to their ascent.
This past month has been my first setback since beginning my Ascent to 100 years-old. It’s been a struggle for me to wakeup every morning. I have the best intentions of eating healthy food each morning and throughout the day, then find any excuse I can to eat junk food instead. Once I enjoy one sweet treat, then I might as well just eat what I want for the rest of the day and reset tomorrow. Unfortunately, tomorrow can become twenty one tomorrows. I’ve also been dealing with a tight achilles, lost my new running shoes (left them at a softball tournament, never to be found), pulled a muscle in my back, and have been struggling with constant feelings of sadness and anxiety. The best way I could explain it to my wife, Amy, is that I just felt off. I don’t feel like me. I believe it’s depression. That’s a difficult word to write, it’s even harder to say. I’ve been feeling so disconnected and far from God and disconnected from pretty much all people.
Thankfully this is not the end.
WIN TODAY // Somehow, I’ve been keeping up with my 20+ push-ups, which is now up to 27+ push-ups and 10 pull-ups. For further explanation, see The Ascent Part 2. That’s pretty much the only thing I’ve stuck with. I haven’t been running or walking since I lost my shoes, and I’ve been eating junk food like a junior higher that was given a year’s allowance in one day.
Today is a different day, though.
Nick Saban is one of the winningest coaches in college football today. He coaches one of my least favorite college football teams in America, the dreaded Alabama Crimson Tide. They are basically the Yankees of college football – I love to watch them…lose, mainly because it rarely happens. Though I don’t like the team, I do like the motto that Saban coaches by, “Win this down.” Don’t focus on what happened or what could happen, but put all the energy you have into winning this play, right now. Then do it again, and again, and again. I am re-implementing this mentality that I all-to-easily forget: Win Today.
I am choosing to take the ascent on one day, one meal, one step at a time. I am committing to winning today, no matter how I failed yesterday or what obstacles will come tomorrow. I will win today. Then I’ll win tomorrow, and the next day, then the next.
MY UPDATE // 07.21.2022 vs.09.21.2022
7.21.2022 [above] // 09.21.2022 [below]
| | BASELINE // 07.22.2022 | UPDATE // 09.21.2022 |
| WEIGHT | 209 LBS | 210.5 LBS (up 5 lbs from last month) |
| LDH | 120 U/L (low by 35) | No Update |
| Cholesterol | 209 mg/dL (high by 9) | No Update |
| HDL | 132 mg/dL (high by 32) | No Update |
| 3 Mile Run | 33:04 | Didn’t run all month |
As you can see from above, September was not a month of progress. I gained five pounds in the last month and haven’t run since I lost my running shoes, and I’ve been trying to get my achilles to heal.
GETTING STARTED // What setbacks are you facing? What is one area you’ve been trying to see breakthrough for years and find yourself back in the same place? Smoking? Pornography? Food? Saying Yes? Work? Your Marriage?
It starts by figuring out your Why. Why is it that you want this change in your life? My Why is that I am going to be 60 when my youngest turns 20 years old and I want to be able to keep up with my kids even then. I also want to be there to hold my grandchildren. Actually, I want to be the one that officiates their weddings! Find your Why, write it down, and remind yourself of it every morning, every time you don’t want to wake up, and every time you feel discouraged or tempted to fall back into the same patterns.
ALL THINGS // Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Your Why is absolutely important, but what’s more important is knowing that there is a God who loves you. He sent his son, Jesus, to die for you, then Jesus came back 3 days later and conquered death forever so you can have freedom and a forever home in heaven one day. You are enough, whether you accomplish your goal or not. You are enough.
TO MY BOYS // “I’m so proud of you. I’m thankful every day that I get to be your dad! You are the very best parts of me. You are dearly loved by your mom and me. Now go out there and do your best.” – Dad
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