Unexpected Confidence Bumps - You Know I Like That

When I picked my son up from school this afternoon, he made my day. Earlier he had been going through old photos on his facebook with a couple of friends, a number of which I happened to be in. These photos spanned the past six years. His friends commented that I looked younger and healthier now than I did in the earlier photos. Yay me!

When teenagers notice something about an adult and voice it, I tend to listen. Good and bad. They are often lacking in verbal filters, so it's a relative assumption they mean whatever words have escaped their mouths. At least, in my experience, this is the case.

After months of trying to catch up to my previous strength level, I sometimes wonder if I'm making any progress at all. Even if I can see changes in before and after photos, sometimes I wonder if I really look any different. Hearing that I not only look different but better is all the confirmation I could have needed. The whole younger and healthier thing definitely is icing on the cake. This type of affirmation helps keep me on track and stay motivated. 

I don't often look back at my photos, but this conversation had me curious. I wonder if I might have picked up on what my son's friends did, had I not known what I'd be looking for ahead of time. Not that it matters, as I can see myself from a totally different point of view now, and that is a valuable asset when trying to assess progress.

Even though I work out for myself, it is pretty nice to have other people notice. For me, it is about health and wellness first, but the physical benefits don't hurt. I may not be able to stave off age, but by building a stronger, healthier me, the effects of time aren't so quick to show their wear. I'm good with that.