Life's a Journey

Photo by HT Photography: Little Lessons Learned by Dana

"You're only as old as you feel." ~ Paul Simon

I recently celebrated my 55th birthday. When I say celebrated, I truly mean it because I feel sincerely comfortable in my own skin, and I am in a very good place right now. I feel fabulous!

I haven't always felt this way, but since January of this year, I've been committed to improving my health in a holistic manner. The desire was always there, but recent health challenges have truly lit a fire under me.

My motivation has hit an all-time high. (Who is this person? I know, right?)

Let me explain...

Several months ago, I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.

I knew something was wrong because night after night, I would wake myself (and others) up with my constant snoring. Every morning, I was left completely exhausted. After my sleep study, I wasn't surprised by the diagnosis, but I was shocked by the severity of my case. A severe case of sleep apnea is described as "30 or more breathing interruptions."

I didn't have 30 interruptions, or even 50, but 117 breathing interruptions an hour! I was like: "Wait, what?" The technician said it was one of the most severe cases he had ever seen.

Upon receiving this information, three thoughts popped into my head:

1. Thank God I found out about this.
2. I need to make some big changes.
3. Unbeknownst to me, I have been dealing with this for years and have still managed to work full-time, run a household, keep up my blog, and handle more grief than my heart could take. I am a rockstar!

​Throw in high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and now we're really having some good times.

Photo by Pixabay

Part of my new routine has been completely stepping up my diet and exercise program. Protein and whole foods are a priority each day on my menu. I also now go to the gym faithfully and attend a fitness class twice weekly with my son, Tyler, called Building Better Bodies. In this class, we lift weights, do step work, and complete TRX strap exercises.

Together with Tyler by my side and a great trainer (Thank you, Scott!), I am doing things I seriously thought I could NEVER do. Not only am I doing it, but I am LOVING it!

Mindset is EVERYTHING. If you tell yourself that something is beyond you, it will be. If you tell yourself you will fail, you will. If you tell yourself that change is possible for everyone but you, then it will be.

In my case, I always told myself that these classes were way too advanced for me and I was doomed to fail if I even tried. But then one day, I had a NEW thought.

I dared to think that maybe, just maybe, if I could muster the courage to actually try an advanced workout class, I might just be successful! This change in thought process made all the difference.

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com

Why is it that we are so often our own worst enemy? Why can't we all just be our own best friend? Believing in yourself is truly the first key to success. We often sabotage our progress by having limiting beliefs. These beliefs keep us stuck, impeding us from the rich and healthy life that God intended us to have.

Why do I share this information with you? To brag? Absolutely not. I truly hope you do not see it that way. I am not special. I am just a simple person who is taking small steps to change her life for the better. If I can do it, anyone can. My hope is to provide you with encouragement. We only get one go-around in life, and I want my journey to be the best it can be.

I encourage you to have the courage to step out in faith in the areas that you need to change. I believe in you and know you are capable of making changes that can transform your life in ways you never imagined. You can do hard things, and I am here to be your cheerleader if you need me.

Call to Action

• Reflect this week about changes you desire to make in your personal life, health journey, or work situation.
• Do some soul searching and get honest with yourself about any limiting beliefs you have. Limiting beliefs are often present without us knowing, so dig deep to pinpoint what may be holding you back.
• Drop a comment down below about an area that you are going to work on this week.

Take care, my friend. I must be going as I have a healthy lunch to pack and a few more steps to get in.

Until next time,

​Dana

​Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Please follow me on Facebook at Little Lessons Learned by Dana here.

Tags: healthy lifestyle, healthy eating, exercise, goal setting, motivation, growth mindset, small steps, limiting beliefs, believe in yourself, lifestyle change

Copyright: © 2025 littlelessonslearnedbydana (Dana Romualdi) ​

Author

Dana Romualdi is a Canadian elementary teacher, blogger, author, and speaker. She wholeheartedly desires to "love God and love people." With a passion for helping others and spreading much-needed encouragement, Dana makes a positive impact wherever she goes. She lives in Ontario with her husband and two grown children. ​