I have some cheerful news:

Though I was not chosen for a member success story at the gym:

My story is going to be featured for the gym’s other upcoming social media and website promotions.

The review team responded to me thus:

“Your story was incredibly compelling and special” so the gym is saving my success story essay and photos for other upcoming social media and website promotions.

I’m sent a $25/gift card as a reward.

It’s not ever too late to change your life for the better.

I was 46 when I started to work out at the gym like a madwoman in training for the prizefight of her life. Before I was 46, I hadn’t lifted one single weight. Four years later when I was 50 I could dead lift 205 pounds.

This story I hope uplifts and inspires readers to make positive changes in your lives at any point in your recovery and your life.

The goal as ever is not for everyone to be able to do what I do.

The goal is for you to define what a happy and healthy life looks like for you and to go do that every day or as often as possible.

It isn’t over until we’re no longer here. While we’re here we have the right and duty to use our God-given gifts to make the world a better place for ourselves and others.

God didn’t want us to love our neighbors before or instead of loving ourselves. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” often only happens once we start to like and more to the point love ourselves for who we are as human beings not what we’re able to do. Character counts more than any achievements.

Doing what’s healthy that makes us feel good is the goal. My intent in telling you this good news was to help readers see that success is not out of the question and that it might come later in life.

The milestones are different for each of us. The results we obtain for ourselves are not going to be the same either.

Yet perhaps readers can take from my story the idea and the hope that you can set a goal and achieve it.

Like all things it’s the effort that counts not the result.

Always try your best to do a little better each day.

It’s not ever too late to change your life for the better.

Like the posters on the wall at a gym beckon:

Don’t give up the fight. Reinvent yourself.

50 is the beginning of a better life not the end of our lives.

That’s my point exactly:

Do what makes you happy. Live your passion.

A long life to you!