One of the principles that has allowed me to enjoy the benefits of losing 47 lbs came from my wife’s “Weight Watchers” group. They ask their participants to write down every thing they eat BEFORE they put it in their mouth.  “Write it before you bite it” is the motto.  It is amazing how much we eat without even thinking.  Try to remember what you ate yesterday.  I guarantee that unless you wrote it down, your estimate will be way less than you actually ate.  When we “Write it before we bite it” it allows us to make a judgment call on both the consequences and the benefits of what we are about to consume.

That got me thinking.

I finally bought a GPS. I fought the idea because I already had a wife. Didn’t need a GPS.  Diane was my GPS. “Turn left in 500 ft – Stay on this road for three miles – Stop! – We’re here!”

Diane was always right and she didn’t need batteries. I travel alone now and I’m not very good at getting to my destination.  On several occasions I’ve found myself in the middle of a corn field, fifty miles from where I wanted to be.  So I bought a GPS.  Named it Lulu.  Lulu has my destination locked in her memory and shows me the perfect way to get there. It’s kind of nice. Lulu doesn’t make me stop to go to the bathroom, she never asks me what I am thinking and she too is always right. But sometimes I deliberately, or by accident, turn right when Lulu says left…or left when she says right.  In those moments Lulu gently instructs me to make a U turn and get back on track.  More often she simply says “recalculating.” Then she comes up with a whole new perfect plan for me. A new beginning from my current position. How cool is that! The destination remains the same… the journey getting there has been adjusted taking into account my diversion.

A glimpse of what is ahead often changes the course of our lives. If you are on the freeway and see flashing ambulance and police lights ahead, you will most likely take a detour to avoid an accident.

For me it was a glimpse from behind that changed my life. Seeing this flattering picture started me on a two year journey that became a physical, spiritual and emotional adventure that I will never regret.

After many gains and losses, I have finally lost almost 50 lbs, I have maintained that loss and I have found a renewed excitement about every aspect of living. The discipline and resulting vibrance I found in my physical life, also helped me take a close look at my spiritual life. I had become lazy there as well. Thank heaven there are no pictures of that!

Benjamin Franklin said, “Most people die at about 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75.” This last year I feel like my life has been rewound 25 years…