Snap: A Pleasant Vigorous Quality

Today marks the beginning of my daily ginger snaps. Clever you may say...gingersnaps...the delightfully spicy cookie that "snaps" when you bite it. However, these gingersnaps have a lot of baggage and whole new meaning. Upon brainstorming for a blog name, a myriad of ideas came to mind. I've been called many a nicknames throughout the years Gingerbread, Gingervitis (thanks to a former youth pastor of mine), Ginger (pronounced like "finger" with a soft "g"; thanks Jack Wiley!) and of course, Gingersnaps.

It all clicked when I went searching for the definition of "snap." I knew this is what I had to use. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, "snap" (noun) can mean the following:

• to grasp at something eagerly
• the condition of being vigorous in mind, body, and spirit
• a pleasant vigorous quality

The first definition is a complete representation of me. At every adventure, I've grasped at it eagerly. I never doing anything half-hearted. Even if I don't "want" to do it, I've always put forth the best effort and eagerness toward whatever task I was set out to accomplish.

Okay, that may not be entirely true. The one area where I've continued to struggle with "eagerness" is toward weight loss, getting healthy, and exercising. There have been many attempts and failures over the last 5 years Let's be honest, I wasn't born with athletic ability or genes. If you watch me play the few sports I do enjoy, like volleyball, tennis or ultimate frisbee, you will see what I mean. My genes are rich in the arts.

So what gives? Do I continue to try and fail? Why can't I grasp at this eagerly? The answers are: 1) I try to do it alone; 2) I neglect to admit my struggles; 3) I keep it all a secret, I don't share what I'm trying to do. So, that's what this blog is going to do: make it public, share my struggles, and attempt to accomplish this with with support and accountability from you, my family, friends, confidants, and co-workers.

One of my excuses has always been...I'll WAIT until I done with the dinner theatre, I'll WAIT until I get through the Christmas season, I'll WAIT until I'm over this cold, I'll WAIT until life slows down. Get the picture? The truth of the matter is, life isn't going to slow down! I am always going to be this busy. That's the life I have chosen and I do love it. I have to figure out a way to make it work.

So, this week I snapped (pun intended.) I'm just sick of walking as fast as I can past mirrors because I don't want to see my reflection. I can't afford to keep purchasing new clothes because everything else is too small; I have an entire closet full of clothes and I can't wear a single one of them! I'm literally tired of not eating right and suffering from terrible headaches and fatigue everyday, falling asleep at 9 pm on the days I am home and neglecting my husband because I'm exhausted.

As I am sitting inside in the dead of winter, when it's tempting to neglect exercise and not purchase healthier fresh food options as they are not in season and more expensive, I am finally ready to possess the condition of being vigorous in mind, body, and spirit. I want my mind to make the healthy choices without having to consider the options or think about it. I want my body in shape and able to participate in physical activity without getting weary. I need my spirit renewed with energy.

I share my first accomplishment today: sipping on my second 32oz glass of water at noon, I still have half the day to go!

I will be making and posting my goals within the next 2 days. My vigorous journey will being on Monday, February 14. I hope you will follow my ginger snaps daily as I hide no longer! Encourage me, support me, keep me accountable, and above all pray!