What I’m doing is hard. It causes me to be tired and sometimes sore. There are easier paths in life, but the one I chose was the hard path.
The easy path led me to being morbidly obese. The easy path led me to Type 2 Diabetes, fatty liver disease, worsening vision (due to the Diabetes), tingling in my legs and feet, and circulation issues. The easy path left me breathless after a single flight of stairs and it led me to a mostly sedentary life.
But then I decided that enough was enough when I found I could no longer tie my own shoes without holding my breath. My stomach was too large and got in the way. This coincided with my cousin, a PA, who told me frankly that I didn’t have long to live unless I changed my lifestyle.
So, I chose the difficult path. The path where I had to be accountable to myself for what I ate. This was the path that led me to losing weight. I then continued on that path which led me to becoming physically fit enough to go back into the military after a 20-year break.
The path I am on isn’t easy. The path I’m on often leaves me tired, worn out, and wondering what the heck I’m doing at my age. But as soon as those thoughts creep in, I remind myself that anything worthwhile takes effort. The better the payoff, the greater the effort. It’s not easy, and that’s the point.; that’s how I know I’m on the right path.
Paleo Marine 