For years I thought it took will power to make major changes in my life, such as getting healthy, finding a job or losing weight.  In the middle of doing it, though, and falling flat on my face a bunch of times, I’ve discovered something else.

My mother always said, “Just put your mind to it, buckle down, and get it done.”  Try and try again, that never seemed to work.  With all the power I could muster up, it still wasn’t enough.

I went on crash diets, stuck with them with all the will power I could rev up, but they would only last a few days.  I went to Weight Watchers meetings at 12 years old with mom, only to not lose much and be humiliated on a weekly basis.  I tried diet pills with great personal determination, and they didn’t stick either.  It all added up to my weight of 400 pounds at 17.

After years of will-power failure, at 32 years-old, I gave up.  That was the key.  I gave my life and all my problems to God, in desperation. I just did not have enough will power to accomplish good health on my own.  I had always believed in God, but had never really spoken to Him, much less asked for help.  I talk about this at length in my book, “The Joy of Weight Loss,” so I won’t cover my back-story here.

What I discovered in the act of surrender, is that my health and recovery was not entirely in my hands, and that I just did not have enough will power, if that even exists at all.  One can “will” all they want, but if God and His universe don’t want it too, it doesn’t happen!  That’s the true “Secret.”  The point is that I had to unite my will into God’s will.  I had to ask for help, and pray regularly, in order to discover and be enabled to follow His will for me.

That, my friend, I discovered is not will power, it’s dedication and discipline.  I am dedicated to God, and from that love and praise, I am able to be disciplined.

Not that I gave my life and all my problems to God, in awe and honor, I am privileged to enjoy the God power that He provides.  I am fully dedicated to being the best I can be, ever trying my best to unite with God.  It’s God Power, not my little or non-existent Me Power, or personal will power that has helped me lose 160 pounds and maintain it over 17 years now.

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Please join me at my upcoming “Experiencing the Divine” weekend retreat in western Massachusetts, at Kripalu Yoga and Health Center.  Let’s give our problems to God, together, in Kripalu’s peaceful and lovely atmosphere of joy and happiness.