I’m going to share something personal here. (My lass says that I often “overshare”) I didn’t come to these revelations on my own. Over the years, I’ve booked sporadic appointments to talk to a therapist. If that makes you want to stop reading, I make no apologies for it.
You can’t live nearly six decades on this planet without picking up some scars along the way. I often joke that I look like a newly repaired suitcase that’s been through Heathrow Airport—covered in every baggage handler’s footprint. And speaking of airports, did you know they offer free counseling? When I checked in once, the lady asked, “Do you have any baggage, sir?” Boy, she wasn’t prepared for my answer.
Life is not always rosy. We experience loss, grief, setbacks, and disappointments. It’s good to talk, and sometimes it’s necessary to hear an outside perspective—someone whose job is to give you the truth, even if it stings. “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22, ESV).
That’s the long introduction to a fault of mine: I tend to get caught in a negative cycle. For example, with weight loss or any self-improvement journey, I often go “full throttle,” start seeing improvement, then when progress slows—or when I fall off the wagon—I’m flooded with guilt. That guilt triggers stress, and soon I retreat into a kind of recluse mentality, forgetting how far I’ve already come and failing to build on the momentum I had.
That cycle often spirals until I end up in a worse spot than I started. But one piece of advice I received changed my approach: journal it. (That’s diary for my UK readers) Additionally if you’re on social media, share updates so others can hold you accountable. That’s why I often post about weight loss and college—not to boast, but to record the journey for the “me” of 3, 6, 9, or 12 months down the road.
Still, shame creeps in. I become more aware of my imperfections and start measuring myself against the “perfect” people at the gym. That’s a mistake. This is a journey. Numbers on a scale don’t tell the whole story. Inches lost, energy gained, or just being able to move better—those are victories too. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9, ESV).
Every step forward matters. Every effort, even if imperfect, counts. I may not have it all together, but I’m better than I was yesterday—and for that, I’m grateful.
So here’s what I’m learning:
Cut yourself some slack. Celebrate the small victories. And yes—allow yourself a wee “humble brag” sometimes. Not to boast, but to testify. Scripture says, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Corinthians 10:17, ESV). When we share our progress with humility, we’re really sharing what God is doing in us and through us.
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