Perspective...

This is not one of the posts that I have stored up in my BlackBerry.  This morning I went to the gym.  I've been trying to lose a little weight and today was "weigh myself day."  My first goal was to lose three pounds, which was only one pound/week from the last time I had "weigh myself day."  So, I stepped on the scale and what did I see???  I GAINED 1.5 pounds???  I GAINED weight....URG!!!  I was so frustrated, but what are you gonna do?  So I went upstairs and held my date with the trusty treadmill.  When I'm working out I really let my mind wander for the most part.  It's kind of my "me time."  No cell phones, no computers, no TV, no one asking me for anything...just me, the treadmill and my thoughts.  I thought about our upcoming trip to Portland, I thought about Greg's job, I thought about hiring a personal trainer (which I can't afford...just a pipe dream), I even thought about what I would blog about because as you know Tuesdays are for blogging!  But mostly I was beating myself up for gaining weight.  Just then a guy got on the treadmill next to me.  I noticed that he had braces on his legs and has probably had them for all or most of his life.  Clearly walking is not an easy task for him.  I imagine he does it because it's good for him, because it's what the doctors tell him to do...what discipline!  He was probably walking at less than a 2 mile/hour pace.  And get this...he was SMILING!!!  Here I am walking on a 10% incline at a 3.5 mile pace pissed off because I gained a pound and a half and this guy is smiling through a workout that is clearly very uncomfortable for him.  Perspective kind of slapped me right upside the head this morning.  So what about a pound and a half.  I can get out of bed in the morning with relative ease, I can walk however fast or slow I want for the most part, I can golf and hike and live my life pretty much the way I want.  What do I really have to complain about?  And this man probably gets stared at all the time.  Getting up from the table to get a cup of coffee is probably a really big chore for him.  Getting in and out of his vehicle is probably very difficult.  And he doesn't complain, in fact he does it with a smile!  So for the rest of the week that's my goal...Do it with a smile.  Whatever "it" is...SMILE!