Thoughtful

The response to the bike post has been pretty outstanding - apparently I am not even close to alone in my biking discomfort! Not many people comment in-blog because "following" is such a pain in the bum (much like bike riding) but I get lots of emails and messages (nearly 1000 hits last month woot!) and it is great to hear responses, stories, and opinions. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to support or join in my journey in some way!
I've been really thoughtful about people's responses and this project in general and here's a summary...
What I heard daily in the first few weeks was "you're so brave to share this story", "I'm inspired to make change along side you" etc, and now mostly I hear funny stories (which I love of course). I think that although I have been completely open along the way, I for sure have been focusing mostly on the parts of the story that are entertaining. It's been pretty difficult for me since I started this journey and the challenging parts are always the hardest to share...I think it's human nature (for sure it's mine) to hide things that are embarrassing or show weakness. What I really do want, however, is to share a clear picture of my story and help remove the stigma from some of the many issues people face every day with physical and mental health. If everyone felt open to discuss their challenges and supported rather than judged others for theirs, we would all be so much more free.  I have lived my whole life dealing with my challenges quietly or only with the people who know and love me the most...Now I'm aiming for more happiness and way more freedom (from judgement - myself and others, from the need for perfection, from food, from anxiety, from weight, from fatigue, from fear)...and I am planning on kicking some ass as I go back to being brave :)