"Chin Up"

I've always been the kid that could never reach the monkey bars, was too afraid to be that high off the ground, and had no upper body strength. I've always heard the words, "you're too little" whether it be as a child to go on rides at amusement parks, standing on the top riser during choir, or _______ (fill in the blank). This week that all changed. Never once in my whole life have I ever imagined that I could do a chin up, but the other night I had the overwhelming urge to TRY! I tried using the fridge, and my roommate's arm, but after a few failed attempts I convinced myself that the next day I would try at the gym. It's a scary thing trying something new, especially something you've never imagined you can do, and especially doing that thing in front of a bunch of strangers. 

With only 8lbs of resistance, I, a 4'11" female with very little upper body strength did 20 chin ups. I was filled with a rush of emotion. My success instilled confidence, pride, and overall happiness.

I went back after supper and did 25 more. That makes 45 chin ups in one day! My FIRST day, at that!

So why am I so excited over a few chin ups? It's not because I completed an item on my bucket list, nor is because I found a new way to keep fit, no. It is because a whole new world of possibilities opened up for me...doors were knocking and windows of opportunity FLEW open! If on the first time I can do 45 of something I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I could do...

JUST IMAGINE ALL OF THE THINGS I CAN DO! 

At first I thought that my life list was a bunch of silly goals that I may never accomplish, but in the past few weeks that I have been serious about completing them I have been changed. I am even more of an optimist, I am more courageous, and with each tiny step I am being set free. Set free of the "I can't"s the "I'm too little"s and the "I will never be able to do that"s. 

So may we be freed from the negative, 

set free by the positive,

and lit on fire by our goals. 

If a 100lb weakling can do 45 chin ups,
you sure as heck can accomplish that goal that's been sitting on the back burner, covered in "I can't".

In my grade 10 English classroom there was a poster that read,
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right." -Henry Ford
I can now say that I wholeheartedly agree.

May the power of positive thinking be upon us this week. 

May we KNOW that we CAN, and 

may you keep your chin up!

You can do all things through He who gives you strength
Philippians 4:13