It takes a village...

They are my VILLAGE, my inspiration, my motivation...where's yours?

After one of our workouts yesterday, we found ourselves sitting on our mats discussing turning points, struggles and frustrations...

To find true change, I always thought it was 100% a solo effort but that's not necessarily true.  I think it can be done alone but why not rally the troops and do it as a team!!

I have learned over this past year that change 

can also come from opening our eyes to others and letting them in.  

I was having a rough day many months ago and during the workout, I began to cry...I will never forget that day. I decided I'd not only tell the truth on this blog but I'd share it with the women in my workout group...I mean, why not? 

It's like we went from a workout group to a support group WAY beyond the workouts and we haven't looked back since...   

It is AMAZING to see what happens when we show our true selves, holding little back.

I use this blog in the same way.  I believe honesty is the only way to truly help others.  If we lie and say it's all a walk in the park then we will set others up to fail, giving false hope.  Why?  I would rather lay it all out there, the good and the UGLY.  The times in my life where I have felt my best and the times in my life where I cried myself to sleep, wishing life would end.  It's the truth, so why hide behind it.  It doesn't help anyone to hide behind the shame, the guilt and the frustrations.  We only grow and become stronger by admitting the flaws and learning from them.  

Becoming better because of the battles we fight and the obstacles we overcome, right?     

To see that we are not alone and to have a glimpse into the lives of others.  

It is crucial for us to see that we may fight our battle but their battle is just as important.  

I listen to these women.  I listen to their words, their pain and their victories.  All of it.

It is SO important to know that not only do I teach them, they teach ME.  They teach me more than I ever learned in school.  They have taught me about honesty, opened my eyes to knowing it's not only the emotional eaters like myself, not only about those that struggled with weight most of our lives...it's about ALL OF US.  "It takes a village"  

We all have reasons that we seek change, a better quality of life or better health.

We are not all the same and we shouldn't be.  

We should celebrate our differences but work together to achieve our goals.  

ALL OF US...YOU TOO!  

Most of the time when a group of women get together at a party, social event, wedding, Church function or school gathering it's usually not all sunshine and roses.  

There's the women we find intimidating, the women we "heard" are a gossip, they are rude, they cheated on their spouse, their child was kicked out of blah because of blah etc...

and the list goes on and on.  

We are women.  We have it in our nature to compare and judge others, don't we?  

I mean lets be real.  

A member brought it to my attention today that somehow, someway we have created a judgement-free atmosphere each week.  We get down on ourselves, had a rough morning but arrive at workout- look to our left and right and see HOPE.  We see STRONG WOMEN of all shapes, ages and sizes.  

Each of us walk away to a different obstacle at home, in our minds or with our family and friends...

But for that hour, we share it all.  Put it all on the table.  We are sweating, burning, in temporary pain but we are NEVER QUITTING.  If you look around at any given point, you see these women holding back words-that are probably not the nicest words and some even fighting back tears...

It's beautiful.

Not beautiful to watch women in pain but to see a bond form that cannot be described.

Something draws us in each day, each workout.

We find ourselves craving the socialization of women like ourselves.

Yes we are all different, VERY different but share the common goal.

I ate through my emotions and fight hard every day to not continue that cycle.

Some fight other obstacles FAR different from my own but we can RELATE.  

We can be open with one another and discuss it.  

I am so guilty of comparing apples to oranges.  We all have at some point in our lives, right?

I want to be petite, more fit, have smaller feet, get rid of my stretch marks and loose skin but to some of these women I am their HOPE.  

...and that blows my mind.  

I was talking with one of my Momma's today and she said she really thought about our conversation after workout yesterday and that she was going to focus on being the best person SHE could be.  No more "Oh I wish I looked like ____" and it hit me.  She's right.

We waste time wishing we lived someone else's life rather than being content with our own.  

We want that 20 year old's bikini body but we are DIFFERENT.  All DIFFERENT.

We don't need to live life comparing and picking ourselves apart physically. 

We should be proud knowing we've worked hard to get where we are today, we will keep that pride as we work hard again tomorrow...and the next and the next.  I will embrace my stretch marks and loose skin knowing this is ME.  I didn't get to 254 lbs without some stretched skin so I must embrace that and use it as a reminder of where I've been and to never go back.  

I will no longer allow those imperfections to steal my glory.  That would be crazy.   

I work dang hard and dedicate A LOT of time and energy to my health but we only get one life, one body so why sit back and let it waste away?  Our bodies were born to work hard and conquer fears and goals...and I will NOT rest until I have reached women across the world and help them see that they are WORTH IT 

and that although it would be NICE, they don't need Chris Powell or Bob Harper (although I LOVE them both and would give anything to meet them!!) to come yank them from their living room to get moving and fight to LIVE.  

We can do that by finding the "village" within us or around us!