This was recently posted in the weight loss challenge group that I joined a few weeks ago.

I saw it and wanted to ignore it, but couldn't.

I tried to scroll by thinking "aww cute saying'" adding my little thumbs up "like" for Facebook and not actually THINK about what it was saying.......but I couldn't. I had to scroll back up and read it again.....and again....and allow myself to accept that this was a truth I needed to see and acknowledge.

Facebook has the really awesome knew feature where it pops up your "memories" of things you have posted in the past which sometimes is sweet and other times is an in your face reminder your aren't where you wanted to be when you shared that moment all that time ago. Facebook recently reminded me that a year ago I had begun working out (again) and was excited (again) and motivated (again) and as the memory popped up my gaze cast down and I sighed and I think would have cried had I not been too defeated and angry at myself.

Discouragement seems to be my bedfellow, especially when it comes to my weight and health. As motivated and positive as I can manage to be on one hand, discouragement always seems to be able to come in twice as strong, destroying my efforts and it is super frustrating!

What I have forgotten is that EFFORT means something....it means I care enough to KEEP TRYING!

And like this quote reminded me, every effort causes a change. Although one little effort on its own seems like nothing....like a mere grain of sand......many little efforts together become a beautiful sand castle!

Now could a great big wave of discouragement come and destroy that sand castle making all those efforts seem like nothing...yes, but the efforts are not destroyed, they are just needing to be regathered and mastered into another beautiful castle!

Effort cannot be destroyed, only ignored, scattered by the waves of discouragement, but they can always be regathered and made beautiful again....so long as the master artist continues to see the beauty within the efforts made.

Sand is only sand. 

Wood is only wood. 

Clay is only clay.

And then effort is applied by one who sees the potential within and 

great beauty emerges.

 Be the one who sees the potential within, apply the effort and let your beauty emerge!