If you feel like you've failed...

Everyone has heard the Thomas Edison quotes about failure - the most famous one being: 

When asked about his most recent failure to invent the light bulb he said: 

"I haven't failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that it won't work." ~Thomas Edison 

When people see that I have lost weight or they read something I post on my blog or they see my C25K status updates on Facebook they will say things to me like, 

"I am so inspired by what you are doing" 
"You are really doing awesome" 
"You look fantastic" 

To all of those people I say, "Thank you!!! Thank you so much for the compliments - I am so grateful that I have finally gotten the motivation to change my life." 

However, some of those people will follow their compliments with a statement about themselves that goes something like this: 

"I have tried to (insert lose weight/run/change my life here) and I always quit." 
"I don't know how you do it - I just don't have the time." 
"Every time I try to (insert lose weight/run/change my life here) something happens and I fail." 

To those people I say: 

"You have not failed until you stop trying." 

"Many of life's failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." ~Thomas Edison 

I know I have only been on this planet for 31 and a half years. I have not experienced many of life's "milestones" (ie. Marriage, Motherhood, etc.) but I can tell you one thing I HAVE experienced - over and over and over again. The disappointment of letting myself down and giving up on so many things in my life. 

When I lost 70 pounds and then gained ALL of it back - that was one of the lowest and hopeless feelings that I have ever experienced (aside from the death of loved ones). I can tell you that I have never been more ashamed of myself and unable to accept that I had to do it all over again. 

But I did. It's been much slower and much harder this time around (as multiple times around often are) but I didn't fail. 

Why? Because I didn't stop trying. 

I don't care what you are doing in life - be it weight loss, trying to love again, a new or different career, etc. You did not fail - unless you stop trying. 

I also don't care how many times you have quit... you can succeed. 

I've quit - many times. I quit school, I quit working out, I quit eating healthy ... and I may quit again - who knows??? 

What I do know is that there is a diploma (two actually) hanging on my wall, I can run 30 minutes without stopping, and my lunch today was very healthy for my body ... but that is all know. 

Life is full of adventure - never stop experiencing it!!!