You’re never too old…

Experiencing a long lists of “firsts” and having a ball!

Three mid- summer days spent in a swimsuit/outfit in the Waterpark capitol of the world with two 10-year olds. Standing in line to catapult down an outdoor water slide and an indoor water roller coaster. Fun? Me?

Well, YES! But if you had proposed this to me a couple of years ago, I would have said NO and NOT! And anyone who knows me would have guessed this. But, that was then. This is now!

These days I am living life on the edge of eternal (and internal) happiness where fear has no power and nothing holds me back. For far too long, I hid my true self behind my weight and a fear of putting myself “out there” – literally and figuratively.

Now, that I am a fit, active, healthy and happy girl living from the center of her equation, I have embarked on a serious lists of “firsts.” Tackling things in life – big and little – that I never did as an overweight  woman where fear and shame often ruled my world. Today, I am “putting myself out there” and taking risks in the dating world in search of true love; embarking on calculated risk in business to follow my dreams; and having all kinds of fun in the realm of “play.”

It is freeing, liberating, and empowering. I feel more alive…exuberant…inspired…and vulnerable than I have in a long time. And I am having the time of my life! The best part is that I am attracting joy and opportunity. I find that I have choices I didn’t before. And it is so cool that I just had to share this revelation – another in a list of life-changing revelations related to being in my equation and getting healthy inside and out.

I want to exclaim from the rooftop – happiness is available to YOU! Anything is possible. And YOU can do it! Let me be an example and show you the way. Let me demonstrate what is possible when you push past fear, put yourself in the equation and follow your wildest dreams!

I just got back from a mini-vacation where I embraced another “first” — the waterparks of the Wisconsin Dells, aka Kiddie Vegas. Yep, I took my beloved 10-year old nephew Jacob and his friend Ethan to Wisconsin Dells for summer vacation. Neither of them had been before and it was fun to experience it through their eyes. My nephew is truly a “water boy.” And like most 10 year olds, he loves the adventure and thrill of the waterpark. So he was in heaven at Kalahari Resort in the Dells.

Now, I am a “water girl” at heart, too. But I prefer big bodies of water – oceans and the world’s greatest lakes. Long walks on the beach, mountain climbs overlooking water vistas, and sipping a glass of Pinot Noir on a beautiful night on a rock by the shore — this is my idea of vacation. So, I wasn’t sure about the Dells, but decided to embrace it as yet another first. And we all had a ball!

Not only did I spend more time in a swimsuit/swimoutfit than I have since my fitness boot camp 2.5 years ago when we were urged/required to do pool cardio, but I embraced water slides with ease. Thanks to Jacob for introducing me to the more calm family water raft rides before we embarked on the Master Blaster – a 570-foot uphill water roller coaster-like ride – and the Toilet Bowl (self explanatory – you swish around and imagine what it feels like to be in a toilet bowl! Pretty cool! I fell in love with the Master Blaster and even went on it with my girlfriend Christine when the boys were busy!

I am not a parent so I was newly exposed to the world of waterparks and didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. But, I told Jacob he truly won out as I easily overlooked the incredibly cute guy bellied up to the swim-up water bar and opted instead to ride the Master Blaster with my fun, adventurous and beloved nephew. 😉

So the moral of this story is to never settle for anything less than eternal happiness because you deserve it. I am so happy that I learned to put myself out there and live in the moment. For far too long I lived a fairly safe life and missed opportunities to soar. I let fear hold me back. But now, I am making up for lost time. And I am here to let you know that life on the other side of fear is fanfrickingtastic!

Lori

P.S. No swimsuit photos of me for this blog. But, my friend Christine did take one somewhat tasteful photo as proof that I am now a waterpark girl. I boldly share it here. 🙂

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” –Dalai Lama

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