Have you ever agreed to something that you later wish you didn’t? Even worse, you actually volunteered to do it. Why? Why would I purposely torture myself? I don’t know. I have no excuse.
So my really good friend stated she was going to do the Daniel Fast for 21 days. Me, being the oh so supportive friend, said, I will do it with you. She texted me the food list and we set a date. Now I did have a general idea of the foods I was allowed to eat versus the foods I was not allowed to eat. I eat pretty healthy for the most part so I was like I got this. No alcohol, no soft drinks, no coffee. Wait, hold up! No coffee?!?! You have got to be kidding me. Let’s say at this point I realized I made a big mistake 😆.
The first 3 days without coffee I had the worst headache. It was so annoying. I didn’t want to quit then, I just wanted the headache to go away. About a week in I was over not having coffee. My mom makes it every morning and the smell was hurting my feelings 😂. One day, I said fuck this I am going to get up and make me a cup of coffee the next morning. I didn’t care, I had had enough! That day I woke up and a peace came over me. It was so weird. I know it was nothing but God. That peace continued to carry me through each and every day.
Now the last 3 days has been a whole different story. Through this experience I understand why people give up, why they quit. These days have been the worst ones out of all 21 days. Being so close to the finish line but my resistance is low. I feel put upon (even though I did sign up for this). Yes, my story is about coffee, but it is so much bigger than that. It is about life and how we approach obstacles and struggles. I have an end date in sight. I know I can make it. Yet, most situations we encounter in life are not that cut and dry. We do not know when the struggle will end. We don’t even know how we are going to come out on the other side of it. And these factors can make it easy to give up. It is so much easier. It seems like such a relief.
I’m here to tell you, don’t give up. Don’t quit! I know you have heard it plenty of times before, but I felt the need to say it again. The same struggle you want to give up on will come back around and you will be at square one. You will have to start all over again. You are in it right now. And you could be halfway through or 3 days from the goal. Do you really want to start all over again? HELL NO! Quitting is the easiest answer but it doesn’t make it the right one. Strengthen your resolve. Take it one day at a time. Pray. Whatever it takes for you to not just get through, but get better, do it! I didn’t believe in myself. Sometimes I forget how strong I am. I just needed a reminder. I am going to be your reminder. I believe in you. You are stronger than you think. You are resilient. You are able to succeed beyond your own imagination. You are a finisher.
Seriously, I am not giving up coffee again. It makes me happy and it isn’t hurting anyone. The only way I will stop drinking coffee again is if my doctor says they have found a cure for MS and for me to receive it I have to give up coffee 😆. I do however appreciate how this minor inconvenience gave me a whole new perspective on life, on me and my capabilities. I thank God for the lesson that was taught and the insight I gained. I hope you all were able to get a little perspective from this as well. It’s a new year and we are facing not just the same struggles, but new ones as well. We have made it this far. Let’s keep pushing. Be well and whole. Much Love 🧡💚
P.S. I am one day away. So excited ☕😀