I was tired—of eating half a protein bar, of missing my daily protein target, and mostly, of the nonsense in my head.
I’d seen a guy on YouTube survive on protein bars for a week. Impressive? Maybe. Smart? Debatable. But I figured I could at least finish one. Just 12 grams of protein. Easy snack. Right?
Wrong.
What started as a “quick bite” turned into a mental fog. I wanted to stay “composed” for a surprise event my wife planned, but in the process, I checked out. I wasn’t fully there. My body showed up, but my brain apparently stayed home consuming distractions.
But here’s the truth: it wasn’t about the bar. It was about the mindset. I wasn’t feeding my body—I was feeding avoidance. That bar was a crunchy little symbol of my attempt to manage discomfort with focus on food instead of faith.
Then came the wake-up call. Pastor Diego Mesa, a guest speaking at my Church (July 28, 2024), dropped this line: “God’s not through with you yet.” Oof. Conviction served.
And this gem: “The breakthrough is closer than you think.”
Right there, I knew. The bar wasn’t the enemy. My fear of uncertainty was. So I chose to face it—head-on. Two days later, I resolved not to return to that old pattern. I expected to be tested. And I was. But tests are proof that growth is underway.
Lesson? Don’t panic. Stay the course. And sometimes, just throw the bar away.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”—Galatians 6:9 (CSB)
I once was doing group personal training at a small gym which conducted only these classes. Then I switched to a larger gym which had a much larger footprint, including weights, a basketball court, a pool, group cycling, and a designated room for group personal training. Just this training room was bigger than the small gym I was going to before. On my first day at the new spot, I felt more energetic partially because I liked that the room felt more spacious.
Could it be that I was functioning in a bigger room while still having the paradigm of the smaller room in my mind? Eventually, I adjusted my new paradigm to fit the larger room but no bigger.
We tend to fit the space in which we find ourselves because that’s perceived as normal. If you have a house that’s 2500 square feet, you don’t decorate or furnish it beyond the walls. As children, we were taught to keep our hands inside the car while it’s moving. What if the car was three inches wider and your stretch was two inches? Wouldn’t you now be inside that bigger car even though you were outside the smaller car? It mattered not that you stretched out your hand but that it just remained inside the car.
What if we practiced thinking beyond our perceived limitations or limitations – bigger than the room we seem confined to – or “outside the box” as the cliché goes? Then we would begin to see possibilities that seemed invisible and accomplish goals that seemed impossible.
It doesn’t help that there seems to be a gravitational pull to remain inside the room. It could be from others who are used to us being there or circumstances we attract because of how our mindset is configured. This invisible barrier is often a product of our past experiences, fears, and the influence of those around us. It takes intentional effort to recognize this barrier and push beyond it.
Imagine if we could see our lives and potential through the lens of limitless possibilities. We might discover talents we never knew we had, pursue dreams we thought were unreachable, and create a life that reflects our fullest potential. This shift in perspective requires faith and courage—faith that there is more beyond what we see, and courage to step into the unknown.
Just as I felt more energetic in a larger, more spacious gym, our minds and spirits can feel more alive when we allow ourselves to dream bigger and aim higher. The space around us may change, but it’s our mindset that determines how fully we can inhabit that space. When we expand our thinking, we begin to see the world not just as it is, but as it could be.
In moments of doubt or when we feel confined by our current circumstances, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul:
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)
This verse reminds us that our potential is not limited by our own understanding or the size of our surroundings, but by the limitless power at work within us. With this faith, we can push beyond any boundary and achieve the extraordinary.
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