The Scoop..the deets

So if we're friends on Facebook or follow each other on the Instragram, you have noticed that I make a lot (*ahem* daily) posts relating to health, fitness and/or motivation. I wish I was sorry that they annoy some people..bbuuutt, alas I am not!

SO! With that said, I felt it appropriate to give y'all my story... my inside scoop if you will. This isn't owing anyone an explanation! Simply stating, I haven't always been this way.
I have always had a love for physical activity. I have never been that girl to shy away from sports or hard labor of any kind. However! I will gladly admit that I WAS that girl to shy away from making it a habit DAILY. I had that mentality of, "Well that's for SUPER healthy people. The hardcore folks..the FREAKS!" And I really REALLY did not want to be considered that kind of person.

Now I'm gonna get personal with y'all. Which isn't a shocker due to my inability to filter. However! There are certain things that I don't necessarily discuss. Life has an incredible way of teaching us and molding us and sometimes those life experiences are better left remaining personal :)

When I was 13 years old, I started having seizures. Completely unexplained, dramatic seizures. This is all that junior high and high school consisted of. When I was 19, I had what I thought would be my last episode. Meeting with my neurologist, she informed me that because I was reaching adulthood, she could guarantee I would not be growing out of them. I remember being confused and frustrated, but also having the attitude of, "Oh really? Watch me."
So fast forward! I lived in Georgia (not the country) for a year and a half and never had a problem with my seizures or my medication. Upon returning home is when I started to experience those challenges. Unfortunately, 5 weeks ago, my streak of being seizure free came to an end. I had some tests done which came back abnormal and verified that I had epilepsy. Basically stating, this condition wasn't going anywhere!

Amongst the health challenges I was facing, I decided to take control of the situation I was in. I had the thought, "This is my body. I can do whatever I want to it, right?!" I figured if I started exercising daily and eating right that I could decrease my epilepsy in some way, or even make it cease completely. I was then introduced to an app featured by Nike called Nike Training Club. I absolutely loved it and still recommend it to people! I loved that I didn't have to go to a gym and that I was able to use my own body weight against me. Within 4 weeks I saw definition in my arms! Another 4 weeks I was able to do workouts that exhausted me in the past. And with greater intensity! I was receiving an incredible amount of confidence as well. The best part was, it wasn't coming from any outside source; shopping, boyfriend, food, etc. It was all coming naturally.
Remember how I told you my 4 year streak came to an end? After my seizure a while back, I got extremely bitter, angry, and hostile. I felt as though everything I had been working for all summer was for nothing. I felt betrayed by my own body and no longer saw the sense in continuing forward with this new habit. I started thinking about the lack of control I have with epilepsy and then realized WHY I love exercising! It love that I can control it; the movements, the duration, my tempo, everything. I may not be able to control my condition, but I can control being healthy the rest of my life.

I wanted to share my progress with others..not to be annoying and rub it in their face! But to show how far I had come and I wasn't where I used to be. And most importantly to motivate someone else! A friend of mine saw my posts, messaged me on Facebook and asked if I wanted to be a coach for a health and fitness company called BeachBody. I jumped on it, even though I was pretty intimidated! I chose P90x for my workout regime (not knowing what to expect!) And so far, it's been an incredible journey.

I have been doing P90x for 5 1/2 weeks now and as hard as it is, I love it. I'm encouraged daily to challenge myself, to give MY full 100% and I do! I have never EVER liked doing pushups, I think they are awful, ok? 4 weeks ago I thought I was hot stuff for pumping out 2! Haha and then barely making three! Almost 6 weeks in, I can now do 8-10. Which for some folks, that isn't a lot, but look where I was before!

We only get one set of skin, bones and muscles. There's no "trying it on" seeing if it fits, if you like it, etc. THIS IS IT. For some, they may not like that idea. We do not realize how much control we have over that! I'm a believer in a higher power creating my body and my taking care of it, is an amount of respect and gratitude for that creation. Regardless, I believe in listening to our bodies. Coming to know how they function and making sure WE are helping it along.
I don't care where you start, how you start, just start somewhere!

Your body will thank you for it.

Authentic Self

Recently, my little sister started kindergarten and this morning I was able to take her to school. For anyone that knows me, mornings are not my strong suit. Unless Disneyland or Sea World is involved. Even still, it's a stretch.
So when it was time to take my sister to school, I was still waking up...y'all know the symptoms: Can't talk/won't talk, blurred vision, deep voice, bump into things, the battle of whether or not to even put on a bra...mornings can be rough.

Moving on! We get to school and she's pumped! All the students are outside waiting in line for their teachers to come outside and get them. My sister is the first one there so I waited with her. As we are waiting, an 8 year old girl ran up to me, her eyes the size of silver dollars and said, "You're REALLY pretty." I'm not sure what MY face did, but considering I had just gotten out of bed, I'm sure it wasn't an award winning smile. She just kept staring at me! Then she said, "I'm gonna come back and talk to you after I put my back pack down!" And of course, she did! 

Children have the capabilities to see, hear and speak with the most innocent of tones. This girl had no idea that I had just barely rolled out of bed. With my Brad Paisley T, sweats and Nike slip on's. She also had no idea that I have struggled for a very long time with self image, still do. It's a battle that I'm learning to overcome by doing things because I love myself, not because I hate myself. 

She came up to me and told me I was pretty..really pretty. When I didn't feel like it and in my personal opinion, didn't look like it. However, I can safely assume that she saw something beyond that. That clearly, I can't. This isn't about me boasting and saying I'M PRETTY AND YOU'RE NOT! 
More simply..I could have easily changed that whole situation and said, "Wow! I actually just got out of bed so I'm really not :/ I need a shower, do my hair, make up, GET DRESSED, but thank you!" 

I have been wondering ever since..What did she see and why am I not seeing it? I found this quote on pinterest a few nights ago and it has changed my way of how I view myself entirely. It is the honest to goodness truth! My authentic self is my best self; even it's a Brad Paisley T, sweats and Nike slip on's. 

The Most Important Thing..

Family: It's about TIME, therefore, make it happen.

Regardless of how you view 'family', that could be friends who have nurtured for you, a church community that has never let you down, members within a community that have given you that TLC, the list goes on and on. I'd like us to pause and reflect on simply what is known as..FAMILY.

For the last 18 months, I was doing a volunteer mission for my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in Atlanta, Georgia. I had the opportunity to teach people and strengthen peoples faith about their Savior, Jesus Christ. I bring this up, not to boast, but for two reasons: #1-Some people do not even have a CLUE the ideals of family. LET ALONE THIS CAN GO ON INTO ETERNITY. #2-Being away from family (aka the loneliness factor) totally bites. When it seemed like all else was failing, I knew my family was back home cheering me on. There were days that that was all that kept me going.

Life gets hard, does it not? Sometimes life gives you lemons and you wanna say, "Screw it. I am NOT putting up the lemonade stand today." Unfortunately you do NOT get to have that attitude. ESPECIALLY with your family. There's Good, Better, and Best. When these crap-shoot moments come (which they will), channel that energy into turning your family into better. INTO BEST. Do not settle for mediocre: Of moderate quality; not very good.
There's a really great book, where brother is fighting against brother. And soon, nation against nation. However, there is a difference between these two nations. One fights merely for bloodshed, gain/victory, pride and glory. The other nation, fights for liberty, protection of his family (wife, children, brothers, sisters, etc.) land, and religion. Thousands upon THOUSANDS are killed between these two. Yet the nation that is...in a sense...humble, never gives up on their family and those whom they associate with.

Whatever higher power you believe in, whether it be the dog sitting next to you or God Almighty..that higher power did not put you in a family to quit. There's no crying in baseball, there's no worries, and NO GIVING UP ON FAMILIES.