#520 I broke that board!

This afternoon my work had an off-site meeting for about 150 people. The feature was a motivational speaker. I wasn't very excited about it. Sometimes motivational speakers are motivational for about an hour, then he becomes just a speaker. I tried to keep an open mind, but I admit I wasn't very into it...until he started talking.

The speaker's name was Brian Biro. He is very energetic and entertaining. The whole program was good and I actually enjoyed listening and learning and thinking about what he was saying. But the best part was the end.

Biro challenged us to break through something that we feel is holding us back. It could be work or personal. Then, we would literally break through the barrier which was a board. A 2 x 12 piece of wood, to be exact. On one side of the board we made an X and wrote a word that summed up what was bugging us. On the other side of the board, we wrote a word that would define what breaking through the barrier would feel like, and also listed people that we would break through for.

Then it was time to break the board. I wasn't sure I wanted to try. What if I couldn't break it? I'd feel so dumb. Plus, just about one of the best looking guys at my whole work happened to be the board-holder in my area. The thing is, you don't look at the board. You look at the eyes of the board-holder. He's so good looking I can't hold his gaze! I'm not even kidding. The man is F-I-N-E.

A couple of my friends stepped up and smashed right through their board. I clapped and cheered and high-fived them. The whole room was roaring with noise. There were 17 board-holders and people were cheering and clapping and chanting.

I looked down at my board and saw the word I'd written on the X. STAGNANT. That's how I feel with my weight loss in particular. I looked at the other side. ACHIEVEMENT. That's what I will feel when I break through and succeed. I wrote MT, T and Dad as the people I was "playing" for. I handed gorgeous Kyle my board and assumed the stance. Left leg forward, knee slightly bent. Left arm straight out, facing the board. Right arm drawn back to my shoulder. I looked at Kyle. I looked away, at my board. I saw the X. I looked back at Kyle, and this time I didn't look away. The noise that was all around me faded away. I didn't hear anything. I only saw Kyle. He nodded and with a loud "HA" my right hand flew through the board! I snapped clean in two!

OH MY GOD! It was so amazing!! I couldn't believe I'd done that! I hugged my board and gave high fives to anyone who would high five me back. I jumped up and down. I yelled "I did it! I broke the board!" Everyone cheered and clapped and we kept on breaking boards until everyone in the room who wanted to was done. Then we clapped and cheered some more until I was/am a little hoarse.

Is it wrong that I want to bring the two pieces of my board with me wherever I go? I just don't want to let go of that feeling of empowerment and belief in myself. Coolest motivational-speaker-at-work event EVER!