"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead..."

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." -Albert Camus

I have had more and more people contact me or tell me in person that they follow this blog and my progress. They also tell me that they were afraid to say it or were nervous about telling me that. I love giving advice, I love helping people, I love what this blog has done for me and for others. However, I feel like people seem to be intimidated by me or this blog. I'm not really sure why that is, though. I'm a pretty easy-going person! I understand that it can be slightly uncomfortable to admit to people that you follow a blog about weight loss and self-improvement, but I want nothing more than for my readers to feel like I am a friend. I don't want anyone to feel that I am telling them what to do or think that I think that what I say is absolutely the right or only way.

I may not always lead by the greatest example. I slip up, I make mistakes. I don't always do what I'm supposed to do. I think I've done really well about being completely honest with you and confessing things to you when I feel that I've done something wrong. This is my way of proving to you that no one is perfect. I could easily not tell you about any of the slip-ups. I could easily lie and tell you that I've done well even when I haven't. That's no way to gain trust. I refuse to be a hypocrite. Saying one thing and living another is a lie. I won't lie to you. I need you to walk next to me and keep me in line. I use the knowledge that you're reading and keeping up with what I do as a motivational tool. I use that to keep myelf in check. I don't want to live in a way that would be dishonest to this blog and to you.

I'm not always right, though. Don't take what I say and do as rules that are set in stone. While I do believe that what I'm doing is right for me, I would never try to persuade someone into doing things my way if that is not the best way for said person to go about things. I want to be your friend and I want to help you. But that's all I can do. I can't change you for you. I can't lead you or pull you into a healthier lifestyle. All I am able to do is walk beside you as you try to push through. I can be a companion, I can be a guide, I can help. But I cannot lead, pull, or force you.

I want nothing more than for you to feel like you can come to me. I want you to feel like I can be your pal. I want you to be able to walk beside me and keep me company on this journey. I don't want you to feel that you have to stay a couple of steps behind. I am not superior to you in any way. I am not better than you in any way. I have simply found a way to better myself and found a way to help people begin to achieve that in their own lives. I have found this blog to be a tool for others to look into their own lives and into their own way of thinking and maybe consider making a change.

I can't say it enough: I want to be your friend. Don't look to me to be your leader. Don't look to me to tell you what to do. I'm not going to be that or do that. I'm going to help you and give as much of myself to you as I possibly can. You can do this without me. You're strong enough to accomplish whatever you want. You're much more able than you may think you are. If I've given you some glimmer of inspiration or motivation, that's amazing and I'm so proud to take that role in your life. But just remember, YOU are the one who has to decide how and what you're going to do.