I was pool jogging today when a woman got in with some things around her ankles and water gloves. She had a visor with sparkles (we were inside but I thought the visor was a nice touch!) and one of those Apple Nano’s attached to her visor with plug in headphones. As she started moving I could tell she was totally jamming to her music.

While I didn’t want to bother her, I also wanted to know what was around her ankles! I jog without a belt and I wondered if she had weights to increase her exercise time. There is no way I could jog with weights and I felt super impressed by her situation. She looked to be in her early 70’s.

She eventually “danced” her way over to me and smiled. She introduced herself and asked how long I had been in the pool (I was at 50 minutes and ready to get out!). She told me that the ankle “things” were little flotation devices to help her stay upright

We started talking about why I was in the pool and not running outside. She told me the pool was her “special place” and that she had pool jogged her way out of about 100 pounds!

She explained that the weight loss wasn’t because she went on a special diet. Nor, was it the hour of exercising in the pool every single day. It was deciding that she loved herself enough to make a change. She was quick to suggest that some people might have been happy at her prior weight and that’s ok. But for her – she was not happy and that started her on a path to a different life. She had been divorced when she gained all the weight. And, once the weight was off, she felt more confident, she met someone on-line … and … she lifted her hand out of the water to show me her wedding ring.

As I got out of the pool I was reminded how it all starts and stops with love. The love we feel for who we are and where we are going (or want to go). You can try all the surgeries, diets, expensive clothes … but if you are not happy in your current situation and you don’t love yourself, nothing is going to do it for you.

I live by one major theme (other than love) and that’s no regrets.

It could be a the wrong job, an unhappy relationship or even just the need for something new. If you are not feeling happy in your current situation, access your love for you and consider what you can do now, so that when you look back, you have no regrets. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

XOXO

Jessica