Make Today Your Day...My Journey!

     "Fatso!"  "Put a wide load sign on his ass!"  "Here comes Santa Claus!"  "Fatass!"  These were all yelled at me on a pretty consistent basis.  Before I could complete a multiplication table, I knew that I was different.  I was bigger than all the other kids.  I'm not sure how it happened, but it did.  Food became my best friend, and I turned to it to get me through my toughest times.  It wasn't all gloom and doom, however.  My experiences taught me a lot.  I learned to be funny so that people were laughing with me and not at me.  Making people laugh became my drug.  Slowly, I gained more confidence and went on to be a leader in my school.  I made friends and found my love...the stage.  On stage I could be anything I wanted to be.  I felt invincible on stage.  I went on to study acting at Ball State University, but never felt like I reached my full potential.  I would look around at all my smaller classmates and just feel like I had nothing special to offer.  I hated being in my body, but I couldn't figure out how to get out of it.  I was a prisoner in my own skin.  

     Before I knew it, I was 26 years old and almost 300 lbs.  I was lost, miserable, and lonely.  I was surrounded by so many people, but I still felt alone.  I had eaten my way through years of verbal abuse, a divorce between my parents, the deaths of family members/friends, failed attempts at relationships, and life, in general.  I tried several times to make changes, but nothing ever stuck for very long.  I would quickly fall off the bandwagon and back into old habits.  That was until May 6, 2013.

     On May 6th, I got another gym membership and said to myself, "You're gonna do it this time!"  And I have been.  11 months later I have dropped a considerable amount of weight and feel like I'm living for the first time in my life.  I got pissed off to a point where there was no turning back.  I leaned on my friends and their support kept me going.  I've always been rather unlucky.  It only seemed befitting that 2013 would be my year.  It was!

     However, it hasn't been all roses.  I have had to deal with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows this year.  I was constantly fighting to be this new person, but still letting the past haunt me.  It really came to head over the past few weeks.  I lost my drive and began letting others' actions and words dictate my happiness.  I found myself thinking that maybe I am better off being fat, funny Stephen.  I threw myself one big, stupid pity party.  The pity party ended, and I realized that I've worked too hard.  There is no going back.  I threw out my fat clothes for a reason.  I won't stop until I reach my full potential.  I'm Stephen Glaspie and very proud to be who I am.  A man once told me that I have the power to change people and better this world.  Time to see if he's right!  So I decided to reach out and get re-inspired before my 28th birthday.  I knew that if I could get a group of people together, we could help each other be better.  I've learned a lot and I want to give back and help others.    

     My 8 week birthday challenge was born.  Follow this blog to see what 50+ people on 4 continents are able to accomplish in 8 weeks.  Not too shabby for a small-town boy from Corydon, Indiana.   If I can help one person see that they are worth more than a crappy McDonald's hamburger, it was all worth it.  Life is too short to be unhappy.  YOLO!  Make today your day!  Time to bring the heat on the beaches this summer.  Let's bring sexy back, y'all!!!  :)