My Why

Have you ever asked yourself , what is my passion? What drives me? What motivates me? What is something that I am so passionate about that I could work endless hours and still have desire to keep going? What is my Why?

My passion is my Beachbody business and my drive comes from being healthy and fit. I know how good that feels and I have an unrelenting desire to help others achieve a quality level of health for themselves. I strongly believe the foundation of everything, including my very own happiness begins with health. My why? My family. They are what bring it all together for me.

People know that I work very hard physically. I run marathons, I do crazy Bikram yoga challenges, I bust my booty with my Insanity workouts.  I make very conscious decisions about what I eat.  But my real dedication is to build a solid home business with Beachbody. With a full-time job, family and my own workouts, the time I can dedicate to working on my goals is the evenings. Every evening. No television. Minimal distractions. I utilize every minute I have to pursuing my goals.

I believe we must live in the moment and take advantage of every minute we have with our kids.  I also believe that if you really want something bad enough, you will make small sacrifices along the way.

I sacrificed a lot this year and thanks to one of the most supportive husbands a girl could ask for, I have been working at turning my passion into my full-time 'career'. I've missed some things this past year. I no longer take my son to school, which was the highlight of my day. It hurts me to give that up. The guilt overcomes me often. 

Small sacrifices open even larger doors.  I know that by next year, I will not only take him, but I'll be there at the end of the day to pick him up. This is something I have never been able to do.  He is my why and I won't let him down. Could you?

Ask yourself if you are truly happy with where you are in your life? Are you happy physically, financially, emotionally? Are you earning a living doing what you love or are you paying the bills and living day to day? When is the last time you achieved a goal? When is the last time you wrote down a goal?

I know I'm going to achieve my goals and be successful. Why? Because my priority is to help people first and my mission is to create healthier lives for those around me and for those that come into my life.

Whether you want help in getting healthier, want to join my cause or simply want some inspiration, I would love to hear from you!  It doesn't just start with me or you, it starts with us!  Email me!  WHY are you waiting?

22 Miles to Glory

Yesterday was an amazing day for me!  A day of validation for all of my hard work over the past six months! 

I began my Saturday as I do every week.  The alarm jolted me at 3:30 a.m.  Drank my coffee, twice.  Inhaled my peanut butter and waffle.  Packed my bag, loaded the cooler with water and Gatorade, layered up for the brisk morning run and headed out to the lake.

It was our last really long run before my marathon in three weeks.  Twenty-two miles!  No excuses, no fear, no quitting.  I am taking charge of my plan by qualifying for the Boston Marathon and the only way to reach my goal is to fight through the pain, do the work and get to the finish line.

I've had some pains show up recently in my toe (you don't realize how important toes are until you run) and in my left hamstring.  It's normal. I've been pounding the pavement for weeks!  If all I have to endure is a little pain to experience the glory of finishing, then I'll deal with the slight discomfort.

We had a great run yesterday.  I went through phases of being energized, fatigued, recharged, down, and then euphoric when I finished.  It's hard to believe that five years ago, I had this dream to complete my first marathon.  I made a plan, I did the training for what I thought was an insurmountable goal and because I followed the course for success, I did it.  Now here I am today, getting ready to run my fourth marathon.

Before I didn't believe qualifying was doable for me.  Only fast people qualify.  I saw myself as average.  I was afraid to even label myself a runner.  But when I started to do the work, I started to believe that I was fast.  I believed I could reach any goal I set my mind to. When I allowed myself the permission to dream big, I saw myself for who I really was. I am a runner.  I am fast.  I am a Boston Marathon Qualifier.  I am and I will.

I didn't have much time for rest after my run.  Instead of an ice bath, which my muscles were screaming for, I propped myself on two ice cold water bottles for the ride home.  Ah...heaven.  You do what you gotta do!

I spent the afternoon attending Beachbody training and learned that the path I'm following in my life is so clear to me now.  I finally found the perfect avenue to motivate others, keep myself at my most optimal  health and pursue my ultimate goal of staying home full time as a mom.  I know I'll get there.  That I know for sure!

Oh...remember Billy?  We met up yesterday and took this photo together.  One year ago, Billy was sitting on the couch stuffing his face with pizza.  He was unhealthy and unhappy.  Today, thanks to P90X and incredible self-improvement, Billy is a half marathon finisher!  How awesome is that?

Passion

I just finished watching one of my favorite television shows, So You Think You Can Dance!   Set aside the phenomenal dancing and chiseled bodies, this show is so emotionally moving.

We all know I'm a crier.  I cry like a baby each time I watch it because nothing is more motivating than watching a person live and breathe his or her passion.  The dancers put their hearts and souls into every step, each breath, the slightest movement and the results are simply breath-taking!

Imagine doing something that you believed in so much that despite being so difficult, you are willing to put all your energy into it.  Imagine working so hard that your efforts pay off in ways you could only dream would come true.  IMAGINE following your passion!

Health and fitness are my passions.  I love to be healthy and I love to encourage others to become fit.  It's as if I feel like I'm on that stage and I've been given this platform to motivate others to become passionate about being healthy. 

Maybe that is why I get so emotional when I watch this show.  I can understand being so broken from working so hard that the only thing you have left to give is raw emotion.  I understand the willingness to step outside of who I am to become what I was intended to be.  Most of all I understand having PASSION and drive to pursue living it!

INSANITY UPDATE:  One more day to go and I've made it through the first week of Month 2!  My body is all over sore again just like I've started from Day One.  As hard as it is, I can't help but feel excited for the next day.  I feel my body changing in ways I haven't felt, well, EVER.