OK, this post is WAY LATE!!! I started it June 15th, but life got BUSY! But I feel it is one I want to publish, so I am going to finish it now.
What a weekend!
I am once again reminded what amazing people I have in my life!
(This is a picture of just a few of those people)
It started on Friday, June 10th. My friend Stace, of Kickpics, came to do a personal fitness photo shoot which was a big step for me because I felt very unprepared and not in shape enough to do a photo shoot. But then I decided to do it anyway, because fitness is a journey with MANY seasons! I am not in my favorite season right now(menopause SUCKS!), but that’s OK. It is where I am at NOW, it doesn’t mean that it is where I will be forever. Seasons ALWAYS change, you need to remember to LIVE through all of them! And I for one, will never spend another season hiding under a rock!
And on Saturday, June 11th, with the encouragement and help from some great friends, I SLAUGHTERED a few personal fears and did a Mud Run! Lots of HIGH up and over and jump off obstacles that were for me VERY SCARY!!! But I did them. The only ones I did not even attempt, were the 2 that would have had me hanging from my arms, and I was afraid of undoing all the progress I have made with my shoulder that I have tweaked several times over the last year and a half or so.
(One of my scarier moments of the Quincy YMCA Mud Mania Mud Run. But I did it!)
As many of you may remember from previous blogs, I had planned to be in my best shape ever for this photo shoot. Well, as I have said, and as you can see, I fell a bit short.
But I am healthy and strong and I am where I am at this point in my journey. I have had some TOUGH discussions today that have made me see that I should be proud of that! And with NO reservations, at this moment, I will tell you that I AM! Do I still wish to look and be more fit? Sure, I will always try to be the best versions of myself. Do I always succeed? NO! Often…TOO OFTEN, I find myself longing to be the best version of a fashion model! I am not now, nor will I ever be someone I am not! PERIOD! We all have different shapes, and we all have different strengths. I am strong. I am a fighter. I have disabilities. I have things about myself that make me CRAZY! But I have also done things that make me amaze myself!
So, with all of that in mind, I ate extremely clean for 10 days building up to this photo shoot, and was feeling pretty good. Then I saw some of the pictures that reminded me just how many flaws I have. How many imperfections. How many little things that simply make me, well….ME! MY cellulite. MY fat pockets on the inside of my knees. MY excess skin that is so loose that instead of looking tight and toned, I still feel like I look when I had 100+ pounds to lose. MY thick, muscular thighs. MY FAR from perfect skin. SEE?!?! I could go on and on! But then I am forced to look at what is good about them. My strength. My desire to be fit and help others do the same. My passion for helping people become their best! My contagious smile. My positive attitude. My beauty. Yes, I may never think that I am a beautiful sight to look at, but I DO think I am beautiful! There is more to being beautiful than being a size 2! But when you have been overweight your entire life, it is sometimes hard to remember that. Because being told that you are “Not pleasing to look at” and “at least you have kind of a pretty face” makes you FEEL ugly!
I would rather be ugly to look at and have a beautiful heart any day over the alternative.
SO, as I celebrate a few accomplishments, and celebrate taking steps towards making another one of my dreams a reality, I am blessed to have been able to have had some of these wonderful memories captured with some amazing photos!
Don’t forget to do something today that takes you one step closer towards YOUR Dreams today!
And as always, remember that you have the power to
MAKE TODAY GREAT!!!
B3T Books and Biceps 