I began tonight what will now become a long troublesome journey to get myself in shape. I jogged out in the freezing weather until I was drooling in exhaustion and did some various aerobic exercises in the living room. I'm also working my way out of debt slowly but surely and hopefully I will be totally free in a relatively short period of time. I read a totally awesome address that the late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin gave about debt some four years ago. Back when if I would have heeded his counsel, I would be a lot happier and accomplished at this point in my life. My favorite quote from his talk is definitely this:

Remember this: debt is a form of bondage. It is a financial termite. When we make purchases on credit, they give us only an illusion of prosperity. We think we own things, but the reality is, our things own us.

I have been fooling myself into thinking that my only major fault is with over indulging in my eating and laziness habits. I stopped using my credit cards quite some time ago, but I have been stupidly dodging the responsibility of paying back the damages I amassed. The longer I waited and procrastinated the day of my repentance, the harder and more damaging the effects were with interest and whatnot.

I can't help but see the connection between my financial irresponsibility and not taking care of my body. Now that I am finally on the road to freedom money-wise, I am much more motivated in terms of getting control of my physical debilitation. Just like I kept on consuming when I wasn't paying off the damage with money, I have been consuming food without working off the damages with exercise. Unfortunately, this habit of overeating has basically been lifelong and will be much harder to overcome since I am addicted to eating. And harder yet still since I have to eat to live and must learn moderation.

This epiphany I have had will in turn affect my spiritual life, and already has, since all things are spiritual. Working off the debt of my finances, the debt of my gut, and the debt of my pride will be the best journey of my life as yet. It's too bad I have to learn a lot of things the hard way, but in time I am determined that these weaknesses of mine will become my strengths; instead of being a burden to the Lord I can be an asset to building His kingdom.