Tempus Fugit

Yes, the time has flown by, and we Project Transformationists have come to a place where our journey doesn't end, but where we part ways with our mentors, our trainers, and all the people who made it easy for us to stay on track. The road has been made easier with all those helping hands, but now that we can walk by ourselves, it is up to us to keep up the practice, to find ways that we can encourage ourselves, not backslide, be accountable and keep on the journey. These were only the first steps of the journey. First, we made decisions about our destinations and goals, and then we outfitted ourselves for the trip. We took our first steps and found that we could fit exercise and good food preparation into our busy lives. We educated ourselves, with lots of help, about the terrain, and took precautions, and even when we hit bumps in the road, we kept putting one foot in front of the other and moved ahead. Today, we look around at each other and only Percy looks the same, because he started out quite trim, but his reports of better numbers are quite a feat. Everyone else has changed equally significantly, but it is more apparent to the naked eye. Along the way on our journey, we have gotten healthier and even better looking; we have left lots of pounds by the side of the road, and we have also left behind the idea that there are things we can't do. Christy and I discovered that we actually liked to hike. Kassi has discovered that she can run down criminals and catch them more often than not. Kristin has overcome some very difficult times and still has lost the weight, looks only too fabulous and has a 1000 watt smile, well deserved. Sophia has been our hiking mentor, our demon tamer, our hard working Amazon, and looks terrific. Don't even get me started on the men. Bill and Dave look like different people than the ones who started with us. I have increased my strength and balance, feel great, and have had to buy smaller underwear twice!
I guess that all of us, or I should speak only for myself, and say that I am looking at the end of the program with some fear and trepidation, some elation, some relief and more than a little amazement. CHLI and the Four Season Hotel have given us six glorious months. we have practiced what we have learned, we have built up new habits, made new friends, learned tons of important lessons, and the gifts will just keep on coming as we practice what we have learned. We have added quality to our lives that was not there before. We have been given the chance to help our families learn to live healthier by example, so our mentors have not only helped us, but our spouses, and the next generation as well.
I don't suppose that there is a way to say Thanks for such gifts as those mentioned above, but I am sure that we have all reveled in our luck at being chosen to participate in this experiment. We have wanted to pinch ourselves as we enjoyed the healing sessions with Barbara and the massages. We have wondered, at times, what we were doing sweating like crazy as we engaged in some demon-invented bosu balancing while standing on our heads. OK, that's an eggzageration but it felt like that.
Now we will have to be our own fitness-demons, we will have to channel Paulette and Erika as we stare at a plate of food that someone has put in front of us and think "dressing on the side, quantity is important here, and is the dessert good enough to be worth those extra calories?"
We will have to get our proper number of hours of sleep, and plan strategically for times when things are not as easy to stick with. We will have to create our own schedules for fitness, training, learning and doing what we have learned.
The time has flown, but it has not been wasted. There are eight very appreciative people who will live better and healthier, and hopefully longer, due to the magnificent gift which has been bestowed upon us.
So to all the management and staff at CHLI, and all those at the hotel who have made our sojourn there so pleasant and lovely, a heartfelt Thanks. ♠