If Life were Easy, It Wouldn't be Hard

So I thought the title of this post perfectly fits the subject. It is actually the title of a book by Sherri Dew that caught my eye as I was walking through the library yesterday.

"If Life were Easy, It Wouldn't be Hard."

I think April Reber would agree with that statement. And what's interesting is you could change the phrasing a little bit:

"If [insert trial here] were easy, life wouldn't be hard." Well April shared with me her amazing story of how she was able to develop a healthier lifestyle, which ultimately led to a more positive self-image.

As April was telling me her story, I noticed that it follows the same progression as any principle learned in the gospel. There is a struggle at first, followed by a "change of heart" or realization for change. Then,  there's that commitment to change, and steady progression. Once she decided to act, rather than be acted upon, she received blessings along the way to the present.

Struggle
April told me that it had started in high school. She was active, running cross country and track. But, she wasn't maintaining a healthy lifestyle on the off-seasons, which led to fluctuations in her weight. What's worse is it led to struggling with her self-image.

Change of Heart
It's interesting how you can have many little changes of heart that show the Lord doesn't give up on us. One of these instances was when April was about to head off to India. Her mom had a talk with her. She told April that she looked great when she ran, but that her lifestyle choices didn't reflect that same apparent happiness. Her mom encouraged her to step on a scale and to April's surprise, she weighed a lot more than she expected. "Oh," she said, "I need to make some lifestyle changes!" This, was a change of heart that helped April while she was in India lose some weight and really feel good.

Another change of heart happened when she was on her mission. A lot of her companions actually told her that she needed to develop a better self-image. She confided in her last companion and asked her, "Don't you ever look at yourself and think, 'Wow, I'm ugly'?" Her companion frankly told her, "No. I look at myself
and say, 'Wow, the world is lucky to have me.'" Because of her companion's attitude, April had another change of heart.

Commitment to change
Next, it's that commitment to change. Okay, it's HARD! Have you not been listening? April has accomplished so much, and she even said it's taken years! So, what made her stick to it? "It's definitely a process," she says. With the continuous Atonement, we cannot expect to learn things instantaneously. This can apply to our physical health as well. "If you don't understand it's a process, you can become obsessive. But, as a Latter-Day Saint, it doesn't define you." It's not about the weight, but your overall health.

There's also a balancing act going on. You don't want to find yourself on either extreme. One being that you accept yourself as the way you are, feeling no need for change. The other extreme is you hate yourself, feeling no ability to change. "You need the find the middle ground," April said. When I asked her how she found the middle ground, she chuckled and said, "That's a process too."

Progress
She did some things that helped her progress. She continued with running. Yeah she did! Not just running, but she goes to the weight room for strength training. For her "desserts" she learned a neat habit in India: fruits are your desserts! This is actually quite a common tradition in many countries (of which I've heard Italy and Israel do too). She even worked on maintaining a health weight on her mission. She would go running every day. "Yeah, my companions didn't like me for it," she admits. "We would bike instead of taking the bus." She also mentioned she gets her full 8 hours of sleep a night along with plenty of water throughout the day.

Blessings
What has she gained from this experience? Not only has she achieved a healthy weight, but more importantly, she told me that it's more about the character traits she's developed. Some of these include:

• Self-discipline. 
• Having a positive self-image. 
• Learning to postpone immediate gratification for long-term happiness.

 "I love that feeling of waking up and feeling healthy! Knowing I can to get through my 12-hour days without a sugar fix!"

I know everyone is at different levels with their health. Even though this blog is intended for about 60 girls, it's still too broad to fit your own personal needs. However, the Lord understands where you are at with your health. I believe that our health is part of our stewardship. President Hinckley counseled us to "respect our bodies." It also helps us develop our self-reliance, which will make us more capable to become the Divine Heiresses we are meant to become. It's not going to come easy. "If it were Easy, Life Wouldn't Be Hard."

And remember, sisters, the world is LUCKY to have you.