I believe in strength.

This is an essay I wrote for my English class this semester.

I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. At age 16,  I measured 6’2” and weighed 285 lbs. I was the picturesque couch potato. My wake-up call came when I got up off the couch to check the fridge for something to eat. When I returned to the couch I was breathing hard. It was alarming. So I began my quest to shape up. I changed my diet. I began lifting weights and other kinds of exercise. In 2 years I lost 85lbs. As a side-effect, my self-esteem got a shot of adrenalin. Before this I did not realize how low it had been. The effect of losing weight and getting in shape has forever changed my life.

            Through the years, I would go back and forth between times of activity and complacency. There came a time in my life when I became severely depressed. My world was falling apart around me. My body was falling apart and I was suffering from extreme back pain caused by a pinched sciatic nerve. At the slightest attempt to do anything physical, my back would spasm, incapacitating me for more than a week. My weight was at an all time high, over 300lbs and my self-esteem at an all time low. My world had collapsed; all I had worked for was taken from me. My body was a wreck as was my mind and heart. I either had to make a change or give up on life.

            I decided to change. It would be a long grueling road both physically and mentally. I had no idea how painful it would be or how worth it. Before this, my workouts had no real goal or direction. This time I had a goal, I had a direction, and in this I found more than physical strength. I set a goal; I would become a competitive power lifter. I started training. I worked hard. As I got stronger it got harder. I had to push myself harder, harder than I ever had, exerting myself to a level I never had before. I was constantly sore, to one extent or another. I still am. It became not what my body could do but what my mind and heart could make my body do.

            Through dedicated training, my body and mind became strong. It was a test of will to push my body beyond the pain. Through strengthening my body and healing my back, I also strengthened my mind to levels I never before had experienced. I learned what I could do when I truly set my mind to it. I also learned that I can never go back. I must train for the rest of my life both for my physical health and my mental health. Through strength I reformed my life, and set it on a path that I know will bring me the happiness and direction that I have sought after my entire life.