New Beginning on an Inspired Journey

New Beginning on an Inspired Journey:

Where to start?  I guess the obvious will do.  My name is Jaime and I am 45 years old  and  well...I am FLUFFY (that is what we call it around my house). As you might imagine, I never have been too fond of other descriptive words used to describe it...so Fluffy was a good way to teach my best friend's young daughter how to state the obvious with a little diplomacy and it stuck!

I have been Fluffy most of my life but was blessed most of my young life to be very athletic and successful at sports, particulary volleyball and softball...but I loved playing Volleyball the most.  My success in sports kept me from ever really having to deal with what would be a lifelong struggle with weight control.  However, by college, my health took a turn for the worse and well...life began to change.  Today, my health is poor.  I have a chronic illness, diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic migraines...I am a hot mess!  It has been a constant challenge for me to find inspiration amid pain, hospitals, working, you get the picture!  I survive on  the Faith that God has a plan for me (still), LOVE from my family and friends and a whole truckload of mostly self-deprecating humor!!!  So you can imagine my surprise when I suddenly felt inspired...truly inspired by a sporting event and 2 professional beach volleyball players that I have never met, have no relationship to and in a sport I couldn't physically play today even if you put a gun to my head.

  So...I think a little back story is important here to help this make a little more sense...As long as I can remember I have LOVED the Olympics..winter, summer...whatever, I love them both.  At the age of 12, I decided I wanted to be an Olympian.  I chose track (not sure why), I called my Mom at work and told her I wanted to a find a coach and I wanted to be in the Olympics.  She said...do some research and see what you can find out about track programs in Houston.  So....being 12 and not having the benefit of the internet...I called Directory Assistance and told the operator I wanted to be in the Olympics and was looking for a track coach.  Amazingly, she (Bless her heart) found the name of the Head track coach at the University of Houston and gave me the number.  I called him, he gave me the name of another local coach and I began training for the Olympics. I trained quite diligently for a while. Now for those that know me, you already know that I did NOT become an Olympic runner but I had experienced inspiration for the 1st time and I loved it.  I so loved the Olympic spirit that I got my hair cut like Dorothy Hamill, had posters of Greg Louganis and Eric Heiden in my room and (the highlight for me)...I got to see Flo Hyman, one of the greatest women's vollyball players of all time, play in Houston less than one year before she died in Japan during a volleyball game. 

I have had lots of other inspirations in my life that have led me down lots of different paths. But it has been a while since I  have had that feeling...a long while.  So again, you can imagine my surprise when I began following Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings during their Olympic run to Gold this year and suddenly felt INSPIRED.  I had followed them all along with their wins in 2004 and 2008 and really enjoyed watching them play VB.  But something was different this time.  While both of them are amazing athletes and the best at what they do...it was their friendship, the respect, the love they clearly had for each other that was amazing to watch.  So very rare to see these days too...two people that are great at what they do, have kind hearts and that appear to be really great people.  Something about the combination of great talent and great people lifted me to a level of inspiration that I have not experienced in years!  I guess that this next part is the strangest part of how this has manifested for me...just hours after I watched them win I decided that I am tired of being sick, tired of the fight against being tired and in pain and most importanly, ready for a change.  All of ideas that will be pouring out in this blog over the 12 months have flooded my head over the past week. 

So...I know this has been really long for a 1st post.  Trust me...It could have been a lot longer...

Here is the plan: 
 I have set a goal to lose 120lbs by August 17, 2013. 
I am going to write daily about my Journey
I am going to have as much fun as humanly possible over the next year
I am going to completely embrace the entire process with a Joyful, God-filled heart.
I am going to share this with my Family, Friends, Co-Workers, and hopefully Misty May and Kerri Walsh (lol)
AND on August 17th, 2013....I am going to play Volleyball again...full on, butt kicking VB.  Watch out...because I was pretty good for a short chick. 

I hope that those of that follow along enjoy my journey.  I hope you will laugh with me, pray with me and WILL me to a better, healthier life.  I need it!!!!

The JOURNEY BEGINS August 17th 2012. 

"The winds of Change are Blowing Wild and Free, You ain't seen nothing like me yet"~Bob Dylan