Estimated Reading Time: 6 mins
Introduction
No one else can carry the responsibility of elevating our lives but us.
Some years back, I had a complacent attitude of ‘whatever will be will be’.
Interestingly, I still hold this belief, but the context in which I see it has changed significantly, so let me explain.
Previously, I neglected myself. I ate whatever I wanted, was barely active, and yet believed that some miracle would one day change how my life looked.
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Unfounded Expectations
I thought I would somehow come into unexpected money, meet the man of my dreams, and lose weight — all by chance.
Surely, God would balance the bad cards I’d been dealt throughout my life?
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My mindset was rooted in fantasy and I wanted results without effort.
I believed that whatever was meant for me would come, and if certain things didn’t happen, then they simply weren’t meant to be.
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After enduring several tough events that caused a serious descent in my wellbeing, I began to take a more proactive approach — acting on the life I wanted while taking steps to get there.
So now, when I say ‘whatever will be will be’, it comes from a mindset of gratitude.
I still have dreams and aspirations, yet regardless of how things turn out, I remain thankful.
However, to achieve the outcomes I desired, I realised the most important change I needed to make was in changing me.
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A Moment in Time
Let’s rewind a moment.
In 2019, I stood on the weighing scales, horrified by what I saw.
At a height of 5’5”, I weighed over 215 pounds.
I tried to convince myself to accept who I was — unapologetically.
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It’s important to have self-confidence, but self-awareness is equally essential.
To achieve real change, we must reflect on our reality and be honest with ourselves.
At that point in time, I had allowed my confidence to mask the truth — that I needed to improve my physical health.
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In recent years, we’ve seen a shift towards embracing and celebrating plus-size bodies, aiming to reflect a more realistic picture of society — in many ways, I agree.
Everyone should love themselves, and representation should reflect real life.
At the same time, we must reflect on ourselves and take personal responsibility for our lives — and I say this from my own lived experience.
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It was good that I found a way to love myself when I was severely overweight.
The problem, however, was that I had dismissed and indirectly neglected the true state of my health.
There must always be a balance.
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Yes, we must love ourselves as we are, but if we recognise areas that require improvement, we should seek to improve them.
In other words, we truly love ourselves by bettering ourselves, while also embracing who we are and who we become through the journey.
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Decide on Different
Older members of my family were experiencing health issues as a result of their overall lifestyles.
I knew I needed to make changes if I was to avoid similar prospects later in life.
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The truth is, I knew what I needed to do — I just lacked the discipline to do it.
To excuse my laziness, I told myself lies convincing myself I was fine as I was.
In reality, I had become comfortable with a poor-quality lifestyle and was simply avoiding the truth.
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What I’m saying may seem a little harsh, but the truth is we need to take our state of being seriously — prioritising who we want to become by meaningful action in the present.
Waiting for the “perfect time”, offering excuses and procrastinating, are simply forms of escapism.
Decide on better for yourself — because when you do, it can truly change your life.
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Actionable Faith
There was nothing a health expert could tell me that I didn’t already know to be true.
If I wanted to live a vibrant, energetic life in my later years, I needed to make change now and I had to earn it.
The dreams I envisioned were attainable, I just had to make the journey.
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As a believer in Christ, I can say that many of us will pray and ask God for all kinds of things — myself included.
What I later realised was that God was waiting for me to play my part and take action through faith.
He’s given us the ability to achieve more than we think, which is why He asks us to apply faith and put our belief into action, even when it feels impossible.
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Faith is having the ability to increase your levels of anticipation while applying intentionality, regardless of how things look.
It’s the power of believing in something that stands in contrast to what currently exists.
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Throughout Scripture, we see many accounts of Jesus healing people, often asking them whether they believed He could do so.
From this, I came to an understanding that God does not always simply act on our behalf — He requires our participation.
That said, it’s not just about faith and belief alone.
We must act in accordance with them, and through that action, our belief grows, fuelling greater confidence and inspiring continued action.
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Summary
If we desire change as much as we express we do, we should be willing to invest whatever is necessary to improve our lives.
We need to believe that things can change, but we must also take steps towards that change — this principle applies universally.
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While external support can be helpful, we must be prepared to commit to our progress alone.
People can be unpredictable, but when you take sole responsibility, you are no longer subject to the unreliability of others — progress becomes personal.
Become your biggest supporter, pursue change for yourself, and keep choosing to show up — daily.
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I’ve set my goals, sacrificed consistently, and held myself accountable because I owed it to myself.
Perhaps, in reading this, you’ve reflected on the habits or behaviours in your own life that have slowly diminished your capacity.
I want to encourage you that you have the ability to turn things around if you truly desire change.
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Don’t let pride, procrastination, or doubt prevent you from living to your true potential.
Today, we say enough is enough.
Take yourself seriously, look out for you, and experience the real beauty of life — because the changes you make today, will become unrecognisable progress tomorrow.
