Closing the gap...

I opened a can of worms.  

I have been learning about who I really am and what I am capable of.  

This knowledge leaves me with a big responsibility.  I can see the gap between where I'm at and where I could be.  Where I want to be.  

I have the map, I may not know all the specific turns and twists in the road, but I have a pretty good idea how to get where I want to go…I have to take one step at a time and that takes discipline.  Sadly my mind is much better at whining and making excuses than being disciplined.  But I'm sick of excuses.  I want to move.  I want to change.

Now is the time to dig in and really let my actions, words and thoughts be decided by what I value instead of what is convenient.  

If I believe that exercise is important for the health of my body, mind, and spirit then I need to make time to exercise daily and to push myself to do things that are difficult.  If I believe that spiritual health is the cornerstone for a healthy foundation in life, then I need to build space in my day for spiritual disciplines such as prayer, bible study, and quietness.  If I truly don't want to feel the effects on my body of eating unhealthy food then I need to say no to treats more often.

Vision, goals, and discipline go hand in hand to all those small choices I make each day which dictate the direction my steps will take.  Will my steps begin to close the gap between who I am now and who I know I am capable of being?

I know it's not an easy process.  There's a reason why that gap is there…there are mountains of faith to climb, emotional wounds to be opened up and healed from the inside out, muscles that need to feel pain in order to grow… 

As I looked to the Bible for insight about discipline I found this verse in the book of Hebrews:

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. ~Hebrews 12:11

Enough self-pep-talk.  It's time to close the gap.  It's time to start training.