Excuses

There really are a million of them, aren't there? For everything. Why you haven't tried something, done something, finished something, said something, written something, eaten something, gone somewhere, etc. I have been thinking about these lately. Not because there aren't valid excuses, or that they don't have their place, but because I want to be conscious of them. I want to up my bullsh*t detector, if you will. And I mean with myself, not the people surrounding me (although that might not hurt either).

For instance, it took me almost 18 months after my daughter was born to take the plunge and join Weight Watchers and take my desire to lose weight seriously. I WANTED to get that last 20 pounds off, but we all know wanting something doesn't mean you get it. Work means you get things. Action. Commitment. Drive. Encouragement. I was tired. I had a newborn and then a toddler who was (and sometimes still is) a terrible sleeper. I had so many new and old things to balance in my life. I had a whole new set of emotions that came along with motherhood to manage. I had excuses. I did need that time to excuse myself for whatever reason, but I also needed to stop the excuses and take action. There is always a reason not to do something, but as being a mother has taught me in a way that nothing else could, time is passing us by. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week. How I spend that time is completely up to me. What an amazing gift. One that I need to remind myself of more.

I love thinking of things that have scared the crap out of me that I just up and did and how rewarding it's been. I need to conjure up that feeling much more often. Like deciding to have a baby. Or applying for a CNA course and following it through to the end. Or quitting a sport that all my other friends played in high school because what I really wanted to be was a cheerleader. Or telling the boy that had chased me for 7 years that yes, I did love him, and he was right. We do belong together. 

So back to that bullsh*t detector. This is my reminder that excuses have a limited amount of time and space in my life. They can only be a crutch for so long, and then I'll call bullsh*t on myself. This time is mine and I want to use it wisely. No more excuses.