Inspiration

I'm always on the look out for inspiration.  It can come in the form of a quote, or a picture posted on Facebook, or a blog.  My dear friend Melissa sent me a link of a blog she thought I needed to read.  She was right.  I devoured the blog post and it hit home.  Oh boy did it hit home.  Here it is.

http://www.imperfectlife.net/ilovemyuglybody/

It's a great post about changing your perception.  And it's probably what I struggle with the most.  I have struggled not only with the weight loss, but with realizing that despite all of my healthy lifestyle changes and training; my body is my body.  I can't make it look like someone else's.  I've really been working on celebrating my successes, validating my work, and acknowledging my progress.  Even if I still don't look like what I had in my head I would look like.  

I have been officially hired as a sub for one club, and I think I will be for the other. (that's a whole other post coming soon.)  But the inner mean girl has poked her bitchy little head up again and I've been sucked into some negative thinking.  "Despite whether or not I can rock it on a bike, I don't look like your typical fitness instructor."  "No one will take me seriously."  "How can I instruct/train anyone else if I can't seem to meet all my own goals?"  All of it.  I have been able to talk myself down off the ledge but I keep stepping out onto that ledge.  So I decided to check in with the author of the blog, Andrea.  I also started following her on Facebook and think she is funny, real, AND inspirational.  But I felt a little weird and creepy.  Who sends someone they don't know a message about how they feel about their body?  I do.  I decided reaching out is braver then hiding.  Hiding didn't work for me.  I am striving to be a person who puts myself out there.  So I did.  And she gave me some great advice!  Why do I assume that people are thinking such ugly negative things about me?  And you know what?  If they DO think those ugly things...well, then I will just have to absolutely kill them in class and they will quickly learn that I don't have to have a perfect body to do some damage.  I have gotten so much stronger.  I have gotten so much healthier.  I can do this.  And I can inspire other people to do this.

Thank you Andrea for being open and vulnerable with your blog and page.  And thank you even more for being supportive and caring to an absolute stranger!