Believing in self

When I have the pleasure of delivering a speech. I explore five themes: Hard work, making adjustments, staying the course, believing in self, and never giving up. These very themes I use daily to combat obesity. This is an excerpt from my first motivational speech I delivered this summer:

I stay the course because I believe in myself. Henry Ford said: "Whether you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right."

Sure, along the way there has been self-doubt. Losing 170 lbs. is hard work. In fact, it is the hardest thing I’ve EVER done.

But, I’m worth the fight. All the bumps in the road are just that bumps. What I’m learning as I grow as a person is that it doesn’t matter what others believe about me. What matters is that I believe in myself. At the end of the day there’s only me.

I have always been a fan of the underdog. The one who the odds are stacked up against. The one that society is betting against. Many of our American sports heroes are underdogs: Rocky, Cinderella Man, and Rudy to name a few. There’s something about the quiet, enduring spirit of the underdog that I admire and can relate to.

       

As a product of childhood obesity, the odds are stacked up against me. Statistics are not in my favor. Most overweight children grow up to be overweight adults. In my case, that is mostly true, as I have been carrying the weight around for 39 years. But, I have a burning desire to beat the statistics. I am going to turn childhood obesity statistics upside down. 

Every time I walk into the gym I realize I am not the favorite and that I am not slated to win. By golly, I have the spirit of the underdog, even with the odds stacked up against me, I believe in myself. I believe I can win.

Folks, I’m proof, YOU can do anything YOU set your mind to.