Leaning Forward: May the Force be with us

Leave it to my techie wife to keep this OCD guy plugged into the twenty-first century. So, she ordered a pair of the new FitBit Force wireless activity tracker bracelets for Christmas this year. What a blessing! Her fingers did the walking and they should arrive just before we leave for our trip to Israel 12/9. The Force will be with us!

Well, yes, we are gadget freaks. But, when people asked how I knocked off more than 75 lbs. over the past year, I have to give my FitBit One device some of the credit. It's possible a much cheaper and totally unplugged muzzle would have accomplished the goal. But, these little digital counters aren't quite so obvious and do a much better job tracking the numbers that keep me on target most of the time. Throughout the day I'm reminded of of the goals I've set and the blank spaces I'm supposed to fill in tracking progress every day. It's an OCD helper.

So, the Force will tract my steps, calories burned, miles accumulated, stairs climbed, and active minutes during the day. Flip a switch and it will measure nightly sleep as well. Too bad we can't sync the Force with our Sleep Number bed and let it make a few bed softness adjustments during the night. Maybe not! At the same time, the new FitBit Force will transmit my data to the FitBit dashboard on my MAC so I can keep us with progress daily, weekly, etc. For a person with a 64 year weight problem this is a real help.

In the strength department, I was short-changed on discipline. The Gallup Strength Finder 2.0 system rates discipline in the lower five of my personal strength array. So, the Achiever in me (top five strengths) needs lists, agendas, daily planning guides, and to-do reminders to stay on track. So, while some people can exercise discipline enough to trim back the calories or pump up the burn, I need something screaming at me. So, the FitBit One Harriet gave me last Christmas has been the deal. Every day it sends my data to the dashboard and guides the diet, exercise, water intake, blood sugars, blood pressure, and any of the other indicators I wish to track. It may not be necessary for anybody else. But, it's helped me drop the weight and keep it off.

Here's a lesson. I need something like the Force, the digital tracker and not some cosmic new-age power, to keep me focused. Maybe you don't. Each of us is wired for life by the creator of all things while we are in our mother's womb. The sooner we know our talents and strengths the sooner we can discover the sweet spot that makes us most fruitful and satisfied with life. If we're believers, He shines, or manifests Himself in us in particular ways as well. He uses these "gifts" and our in-born talents to work in and through us in life. My personal line-up requires things like the Force tracker to help me stay on point with my health concerns. Being Type II diabetic and fighting weight problems for 64 years accelerates the need to stay focused in the health areas. Each of us needs to know how we are wired so that we can answer His call and be His person in this high-speed world.

There's a confession too. Self-control is a fruit of the spirit and should be evident in my personal spiritual growth. But, my knees quiver and I break into the cold sweats in the presence of chocolate. This endomorph was born with thirty-two sweet teeth and was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago. The will power ebbs and flows, usually with the demands of the day. So, I keep calorie counters, low-carb diets, and exercise regimens close at hand. The FitBit One has nagged me into some measure of dietary and exercise constraint so that I would maintain a lower profile for more than a year. It helps to be self-aware.

So, we're waiting on the Force(s) to arrive so we can keep on tracking. And, ma the Force be with us!