"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great". ~ Zig Ziglar

As I begin a new week, greatness is on mind. It was the last thing on my mind when I went to bed lastnight and it was the first thing on my mind when my feet hit the floor this morning.  Greatness is going to look different to all of us, however we all have to start somewhere on that road.

So how do we reach this destination called Greatness? Honestly there is not a magic formula. Everyone has a different definition on what greatness actually is.  For me greatness means living my life in the spirit of excellence and giving God the glory for the results.  It means improving my life on a daily basis not just for myself but for the ones around me as well.  When I'm the best me, everyone in my life benefits from it. 

After battling cancer last year, I looked up and noticed the significant weight gain that I experienced. I was blessed to have had an appetite throughout my chemo treatments, but now when I looked in mirror I could clearly see the pounds that I had packed on.  I was happy to be alive and at the same time I was sad to be overweight. Obviously the weight wasn't gonna just up and lose itself, so with that in mind I made the decision to take the first step.  I went out and purchased a #fitbit and started walking. After a few weeks of walking around my local reservior, I challenged myself to walk a greater distance around my neighborhood. Within a month I was walking 5 miles a day, 5 days a week.  While all of this physical activity was good for my body, a change in my diet was much needed.  I cut out sugary drinks and started drinking lots of water. I replaced junk food with lots of veggies and whole grains. Before I knew it, the pounds began to melt away and my skin had never looked better. The physical changes were great, but the mental and emotional changes were even better. My husband started commenting about how great I looked which of course made me putty in his hands. My self esteem got a boost and my attitude soared with it. Suddenly I wanted to complete my household chores and have dinner on the table before my kids came home from school. I began to care about what I looked like during the day and actually started getting dressed in real clothes instead of wearing pjs or sweats all day. I was finally starting to feel like my old self again, all because I literally took the first step. 

Greatness doesn't happen overnight, as it's a journey. The road may seem long and at times it may even get bumpy or windy. The key to achieving greatness is sticking with it when the going gets tough. My grandparents always told us that anything worth having is worth working for and I believe it will all of my heart.  Today I challenge you to get on the road to greatness, because no matter how long or short the road is the journey starts with one step.