My Lifestyle Change
Putting my health first
This is a journey and a test of my will. I now have to eat healthier to live a more productive life and it is not easy. Part of my problem is I love rich foods, lots of butter, some spice, cream and sweets. Now I prefer honey to sugar so this is a plus, however I still love sweets and bread! My battle is uphill I need to lose a minimum of 50 pounds to be at my healthy weight. You noticed I said healthy weight and not what is in fashion. Although there is a lot more focus on not body shaming people wearing a size 12 or larger. It is still not fashion forward as being a size 12 or less. Plus, let’s face it being overweight is not good! Caring fat around your middle is really not good. A lot of people who have heart trouble have fat around the middle of their bodies.
Many black people carry fat around their middle section or their core. Look at the photos from various parts of Africa you will see people (even thinner people) with tummies. In some parts of Africa being a little thick is considered sexy. As I battle with my weight, type 2 diabetes and back spasms I am focused on losing the weight. Working out more and eating healthier. The challenge is there however the reward is greater. As I begin to lose weight 1-2 pounds every two weeks I feel much better.
Going to all my doctor visits as scheduled is a must. Each time we discuss my progress or set-back. Then we set a chart or make a course correction to help me meet my goals. At my last visit we discussed me doing what I called at home physical therapy a particular set of exercises that will strengthen my back and pelvic muscles. When done at least every other day I should see results. Right now I have spasms in the lower part of my back at least once a day. These exercises are supposed to relieve some of my back pain. The last set of x-rays I took a couple of weeks ago showed that I have lost a considerable amount of cartilage in my spinal column. This cannot be replaced at least not yet. However, the muscles around the discs with exercise can help move them up some. I am going to get a second opinion in the next few months right now I will accept what my doctor told me or what I have interpreted as what my doctor has said to me.
I have a To-Do list for my health in order of priorities: Back, Teeth and Weight. Although they are listed in order I work on each of them in some way daily. I have returned to brushing my teeth with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide this helps whiten them, I walk and do the specific exercises for my back and I watch what I eat and only eating when I am truly hungry. My goal is by June of this year to have lost at least 10 pounds, my teeth look whiter and my back spasms not to be a regular part of my daily life.
My mental health is important and I have struggled since the first shut-down of the pandemic in March of 2020. I fight depression daily and writing helps a lot. To write I must do some research. This keeps me reading. Every time my hands are on the keyboard and I see words on the blank page I celebrate! Since I have started writing regularly I have completed 29 short stories that have been reviewed and one I entered into a writing challenge and placed as one of 50 runners up. The writer’s platform Vocal.Media has 10s of thousands of writers enter what they call Challenges. By being one of the runners up I received a $50 cash prize and recognition on the website. This is a victory for me! This has led to me submitting one of my poems into another writing contest sponsored by another writing platform that the winners will be announced by late August of this year. My confidence is building in my writing and also in getting my health back on track.
By having a place for my writing it helps me focus and improve on my craft. Since I write about my health problems this keeps them on my mind. When my health problems are on my mind I follow through with what I must do to improve my health and I am not so easy to allow depression to take over. If I do not focus daily on what ails me I will not make any progress. This is my mission and one I plan to complete in grand style.
About the Creator
Hadayai Majeed aka Dora Spencer
Hadayai Majeed writes short, intriguing stories in many genres. The Joy of Islam series and Pieces of Me with Company are collections of her diverse works and those of others. Each book is unique always leaving the reader wanting for more.
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More stories from Hadayai Majeed aka Dora Spencer and writers in Motivation and other communities.
Action of One. Runner-Up in We Have a Dream Challenge.
I left an organization I help co-found 20 years ago in 2018. Although I was leaving, and it felt a bit strange it was time for me to go. I felt I had done all I could do, and it was time for someone younger to step up. Plus, I wanted to work on writing and publishing and they both take time. Since I did not enter writing as someone who always wanted to write I needed to first improve my writing skills. This has taken time and lots and lots of practice.
By Hadayai Majeed aka Dora Spencer4 years ago in Motivation
“The Man Who Never Missed a Day”
When I was 17, I met a man who delivered newspapers in the rain. Not in a casual, half-hearted way—but fully committed, every single morning. He would leave his house before sunrise, his coat soaked, shoes falling apart, and the wind cutting through him like a knife. Yet, despite the cold and wet, he smiled at everyone on his route. To a teenager like me, it was both confusing and inspiring. I remember the first time I saw him struggle with a bundle of papers that seemed almost too heavy for him. He slipped on the wet pavement, muttered something under his breath, and kept walking. When he reached the next house, he knocked on the door, handed over the paper, and smiled as the door closed. That smile was strange to me—it wasn’t pride or satisfaction, it was… calm. Almost peaceful. Curious, I approached him one morning. “Why don’t you take a day off when it’s so hard?” I asked, shivering in my hoodie as the rain soaked me through. He laughed, a deep, gravelly sound that didn’t sound annoyed, only knowing. “Son, nobody cares about today,” he said, shaking his head. “What matters is tomorrow. You build your life the same way: one small effort, every day, even when nobody notices.” At the time, I didn’t understand. My life felt urgent, like it had to explode with success immediately. I was chasing big ideas, jumping from project to project, leaving most half-finished. I thought motivation was everything—without the spark of inspiration, nothing mattered. The idea of showing up every single day, even when tired, even when bored, even when invisible, felt almost insane. I watched him for weeks. Rain or shine, he was there. I started noticing small details I hadn’t seen before—the careful folding of the papers, the way he adjusted his wet coat to protect the bundle, the extra minute he took to smile at a child running out to grab the paper. Every morning, the same ritual. Every morning, the same effort. And yet, nobody cheered. Nobody noticed. Years passed. I went to college, chasing my own “big dreams,” my own versions of instant success. I started businesses, abandoned them; learned new skills, stopped halfway; made promises to myself I couldn’t keep. I told myself I was working toward greatness, but mostly, I was chasing the idea of success, not the work itself. Motivation was my fuel, and when it ran out, I stopped moving. Meanwhile, the memory of that man stayed with me. The quiet diligence, the smile in the pouring rain. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he had already taught me the most important lesson: consistency matters more than talent, and persistence matters more than inspiration. Years later, I found myself struggling. A career path crumbled beneath me, a relationship ended badly, and my confidence had hit rock bottom. I remembered the man with the newspapers. I thought about how small, invisible efforts can be the hardest to trust—because results are not immediate, and recognition is not guaranteed. Yet, he had shown me that those small efforts accumulate, slowly but inevitably, into a life that cannot be ignored. I started experimenting with this principle myself. Every morning, I wrote 500 words for my stories—even when tired, even when uninspired. I practiced my skills quietly, without posting or sharing. I did the work not for applause, but because it mattered to the person I wanted to become. Some days, it felt like nothing was happening. Some days, I wanted to give up. But then I remembered the man with the newspapers, and I kept showing up. It didn’t take long before I started noticing changes. The words I wrote flowed better, ideas connected in ways they never had before. People began noticing my work. Small victories became more frequent, and my confidence started to rebuild. What had seemed like meaningless, invisible effort had quietly transformed my life. That man never became famous. He never went viral. He had no thousands of followers, no awards, no recognition. But every paper he delivered, every smile he shared, every step he took in the rain—it all mattered. Each day of consistent effort built a life he owned completely, a life he could be proud of. I realized then that success is not a moment. It is not a sudden flash of recognition or a single lucky opportunity. Success is the sum of the quiet, consistent decisions we make when no one is watching. It’s the choice to wake up when it’s easier to sleep. It’s the decision to work when it’s easier to scroll on your phone. It’s the effort we put in when the world doesn’t applaud. And the truth is simple: showing up every day is more powerful than talent, motivation, or luck. Talent fades. Motivation fluctuates. But showing up—every single day, rain or shine—creates results you cannot imagine. Just like the man in the rain, your efforts may not be recognized immediately. People may overlook them, circumstances may feel unfair, progress may seem invisible. But over time, the cumulative effect of your daily effort will speak for itself. One day, the world will notice. One day, your consistency will transform your life. So, start today. Don’t wait for motivation. Don’t wait for inspiration. Show up. Every day. One small effort. One action. One step at a time. Let your grind be louder than your excuses. Because the man who never missed a day wasn’t special. He was ordinary. But through persistence, he became unstoppable. And so can you.
By Ihtisham Ulhaqa day ago in Motivation
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