A look back...and looking forward.

It takes a lot of courage to do what I'm about to do, but I think it's so amazing, that I have to show everyone.

This is what I looked like Christmas 2004:

I have seen this picture before, but I saw it again the other night after not seeing for awhile and stopped dead in my tracks. I could not believe that was me. I immediately felt so ashamed and disgusted with the old me: how could I do that to myself? How could I let my weight get so out of hand and not realize it? Everyone has their own mental image of how they look to the rest of the world, and this certainly was not how I pictured myself. All I kept hearing in my head was, "Who is that?"

The picture made me feel sad. I remember exactly what I was going through and how bad things were at that point in my life. All of those feelings came rushing back again, like a dam had broken in my head. After the sadness went away, pride swelled up inside me. Look at how far you've come, I told myself. Look at how much your life has changed since that picture was taken.

And it's true: my life has changed a lot. I've since disposed of 60 pounds of me that I will never see again. I've got a great job with a great company, and finally feel like I am where I'm supposed to be with my career. I'm incredibly outgoing and doing things the person in that picture never would have done. I'm pushing myself in ways I never imagined possible and excited about where I'm headed.

Old me, say hello to the new me:













At the risk of sounding cliche':
you've come a long way, baby.