Holding - and Releasing - Rocks

Do you have a rock in your hand?   It may be a small rock that is easily held in one hand, or it may be a boulder that requires both hands and all the strength you have.

In the book, Dr. A's Habits of Health (written by Take Shape for Life/Medifast's medical director and Take Shape for Life co-founder, Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, MD) there is a cartoon of a man treading water with his nose barely above the surface of a lake and holding a large, heavy rock in his hands.  On the shoreline is a trail that leads up a mountain.  At the top of the mountain are the words, “everything you’ve ever wanted”.  On the rock are the words “what’s holding me back.” 

We are all carrying around these big rocks in life which represent our concepts.  For example: “I can’t attain my ideal goal weight because ________”.  What you fill in the blank is your rock.  You are just barely treading water and could have whatever you want if you’d just let go of your rock.  What is your rock? 

It can be scary to let go of our rock, especially if we've held on to it for a long time.  Some of us have held on to our rocks so long that we can hardly remember life without it; we're no longer aware of its weight because it's become part of us.  But what would happen if you just . . . let . . . go?

Sometimes it's just a matter of making the decision and releasing our grip.  Other times letting go of our rock may require the assistance of a professional counselor - it all depends on the size of our rock and how long we've clung to it.  My own weight loss journey was a time of letting go of my own rock, which I did with God's help.  Releasing that boulder resulted in wonderful freedom for me.  The song, "Finally Free" by Nichole Nordeman still causes me to tear up when I listen to it because it has such deep meaning for me (you can find it on YouTube, if you're interested).

Letting go of our rock may not be easy, but the choice to release it is in our grasp.  Choose wisely :-).