Sweat
Dear Strong Woman,
I have found a special substance that, if you cover yourself with it consistently, will drastically change your body and, more importantly, your mood.
It’s a bit of an artisan blend…uniquely made in conjunction with the individual it is meant to serve.
Thought, fair warning…it may smell a little, and burn your eyes if you’re not careful.
So…do you want to know what it is?
HINT
I’m in a major state of self-reflection. It amazes me how one decision can completely alter the course of your life.
So much of the time, we let life happen TO us. We complain about things out of our control, letting them shake us to the core, suck the joy, and blind us from the many, many blessings surrounding us.
But there comes a point where we have to change the story and recognize that life happens FOR us, not to us. That we have the power to focus on what we CAN control, and let our energies flow in a direction that is purposeful rather than pointless.
For me, the girl that walked the mile run in middle school and ate cookie dough for dinner on the regular, that control came from taking on a more healthy lifestyle.
To keep this brief, let me say that I’ve had a roller coaster, love-hate relationship with my health that is worthy of whiplash, made up of everything from binge eating and baggy sweatpants to low-carb dieting and very low-self esteem.
Barely staying afloat in an endless sea of to-do lists, there came a point where feeling out-of-control on a regular basis took me to a fork in the road: wish for a lighter load, or do the work to build a stronger back.
I decided to do the latter, and I decided to do it in the literal sense – with a lot of sweat.
IT CHANGES YOU
Duh, right? Of course fitness changes you. It slims you down, it tones you up, and sculpts here, and it chisels there. That’s all true.
But, the real transformation is internal. The real transformation is the one you can’t see.
As I sit here and reflect on who I was a year ago (left) and who I am now (right) – significantly lighter in mind as well as body – I am more thrilled with what I’ve gained rather than what I’ve lost.
More energy.
More happiness.
More mindfulness.
More determination.
More appreciation.
More perspective.
More confidence.
More calm.
And the list keeps growing.
WHY
Perhaps the reason why it took me so long to commit to this – to train the quit out of me – has to do with my previous limiting beliefs about diet and exercise. But what I always considered to be a form of punishment, was actually an important lesson in loving myself.
Not a diet, a way of life.
Not for him, them, or anyone else but ME.
Not for a day, but for every day.
Not to feel good in a dress, but to feel good in my own skin.
Not for a beach-ready photo, but for my mind.
Not for a competition, but for THE competition I have created for myself, by myself, to become a better version of myself.
Every.
Damn.
Day.
In a time when the glorification of being busy is the latest trend, just the act of choosing to put yourself first is a bit of a rebellious act.
But every time you do, you become stronger, more resilient, and a better you. It isn’t the external results that keep you showing up, but the on-top-of-this-world feeling you get from making yourself proud.
Your life will only get better if you do, babe.
Work on yourself.
The rest will follow.
