 As I was wrapping gifts for my daughter this year, I literally went into a panic. I was worried that I hadn’t gotten her enough. Granted, she only asked for two things which I purchased along with other items I knew she would like. The moment I stepped back from the tree and looked at how small her gift pile was, sadness came over me.
I’ve always been a bargain shopper, which was a plus this year since my businesses went through a bit of a dry spell and frankly, money was a little tight. I gave myself a budget of $100 and came in well under having spent about $75. So, why was this bothering me so much? I should’ve been excited about saving money and getting her wish list and more. Christmas morning came and with excitement, she opened each gift. She squealed and laughed and loved it all (even the books, haha). When the gifts were all opened, which didn’t take long, she opened her new toys and just started to play. She didn’t ask if there was more for her. She didn’t even notice that her pile was so much smaller than it had ever been. All of my worry had been for nothing. But, why was I so bothered in the first place? As I scrolled on social media later that night, every photo was the same. Living rooms full of endless amounts of toys and electronics and clothes. I even looked through my own FaceBook memories and saw that every year up until now looked just like those photos. Was my daughter any happier when she had more stuff? Is it what she really wanted or was I just trying to feed my own ego? It wasn’t hard for me to come up with the answers to these questions. She was just as happy this year, maybe even a little bit more than in the past. This year was the first year she fully embraced all of the magical experiences of the holiday. Her elf. Decorating. Chocolates each morning from her advent calendar. Writing to Santa. Making reindeer food. Reading stories about Jesus. And probably her favorite part, having cupcakes to celebrate His birthday. I had been so consumed with comparing my situation to others, that I almost didn’t see the value in what she found thought was most important this year. Now, I’m in no way condemning anyone for their choice to buy as much as they would like for their children. I’m fully aware that as she gets older, it’s going to get more expensive. But, for as long as I can and she will allow, I’m going to continue to embrace the magic and find joy in our experiences instead of things.
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Yesterday, I found out that I have been accepted into an exclusive mentorship being offered on my team! I never imagined I would be a leader. Being an overweight and shy girl growing up, I always felt more comfortable being behind the scenes or in the background where I could hide my insecurities. The truth was, as much as I thought I was okay with just existing, I longed for so much more. I always dreamed of being my own boss where I could have the opportunity to do some good in the world. But I never actually thought that could become my reality until now. When I became a coach, I struggled with thinking that no one would take me seriously because of the way I look and my personal insecurities. Through a leader mentorship I participated in earlier in my coaching career, I had to deal with letting go of all of the fears I had been holding to that were keeping me from moving forward. It was tough and I had to come to terms with a lot of things that I saw as my weaknesses. Looking back at that now, I know those weaknesses are actually my strengths that I've accepted and used to get me to where I am now. I've found that others do see my passion. They see my commitment. And most importantly, they are inspired by me. I have a solid team of coaches under me who share this same passion and clients who look to me to lead them on their own health journeys. How cool is that? For me to be accepted into this mentorship is huge! For starters, I'm one of only three people who met all of the qualifications required to be accepted. One of three. Coming from a team with over 400 coaches, this feels pretty damn good! I am being given the opportunity to spend the next month learning how I can become a stronger leader for my own team. I get to work alongside of a few of the top coaches in my upline and within the Beachbody organization (each one of these ladies is in the top 5,000 coaches in the company!). To say this is an honor is an understatement. To say I'm lucky would be a lie. Being accepted into this group had nothing to do with luck. I worked hard for this. I saw this opportunity and I knew I had to be a part of it because I know for a fact that other coaches aren't being given the same type of education and guidance. It's something that is so valuable to me that there was no way I could let this slip out of my grasp. I made sure I stayed committed to reaching this goal. I remained consistent with my business. I did it. And I'm so proud. This afternoon, I learned of the passing of a local woman who succumbed to a brief and hard-fought battle with cancer. She was a wife. She was a mom to three young children under the age of 6. By the posts I'm seeing on social media, she was so admired and so loved by all who knew her.
I never had an opportunity to meet this remarkable woman, although we had many mutual friends. But hearing that her battle has ended makes my heart so incredibly heavy. You may wonder, why? This happens all the time and you're right, it does. But when I look at this woman who I didn't know, I can't help but think to myself, that could be me. At any moment, my time here could come to an end. Do I want to leave this world knowing that the puzzle my daughter wanted to do with me is left unfinished because I was too busy or too tired? How will I feel if that silly argument about dirty dishes goes unresolved and I don't get to apologize for being angry? Every moment of every day, we have a choice. We decide what we say and how we spend our time with those we love. I know that I never want those I will leave behind one day to ever question how much I love them. Life is a blessing. No matter how rough it may get, you are here and if you're not making every second count for something, well, then you are missing out on what it means to truly live. Rest In Peace, Samantha.
 We are just days away from the start of 2017. A new year always brings about new goals. For many people, that means making a commitment to get fit and lead a healthier lifestyle. I've been there, too. And as excited as I was to start a new regime, I inevitably failed. Why? Because I didn't have a plan. I didn't have support. And instead of truly looking at making a change that I could live with for the rest of my life, I jumped on the January Resolutions bandwagon and after about a month, I jumped off with about 80% of the others who thought just like me. Don't even get me started on how much money and time I wasted doing it this way!
I no longer look at January 1st as a day for new beginnings when it comes to my fitness journey, because my journey doesn't have an end date. I get up every day and push play on my favorite workouts. I experience amazing benefits by drinking Shakeology. I have the support of my coach and since becoming a coach myself, I have my clients who look to me to support them on their journeys, which in turn, motivates me to keep doing all of this every single day. Today, Beachbody is officially launching the Beachbody On Demand All Access Pass. It's a game changer. With the All Access Pass, you have access to over $6,000 worth of programs currently offered by Beachbody (and any future programs that are released) for one full year. You get a one month supply of Shakeology and the portion control food containers that accompany most programs. And you get daily support from me, as your coach. All for less than $20/month! I know that is a lot less than that gym membership that may not get used, the personal trainer and the nutritionist you may be planning to pay for to help you reach your goals. Are you ready to get started? Comment below or send me a message so we can chat about your goals!
 Before I became a mom almost five years ago, I used to travel a lot for my job at the time. I love exploring new places and learning about different parts of the country. When my best friend, who also happens to be the extra fab mom of Once Upon a Squat, invited me to join her at the annual BeachBody Summit in Nashville, I had no problem saying yes!
But then I had to put on the brakes and remember that I'm a mom and picking up and heading out of town for five days takes a little more preparation than it used to. With the nearest family being two hours away, I don't always have the luxury of asking my mom to babysit while hubby works. And since my other sitter is going to be traveling with me to Nashville, panic started to set in. Thank goodness for another friend, who is also the mom of my daughter's BFF, because she will be helping out so my dreams of a kid-free, husband-free, responsibility-free trip won't be shattered. It took me a while to see just how important taking time for myself really is. I didn't have my first weekend away from my daughter until she was three years old. THREE. YEARS. To some, it may seem selfish to want to be away from our children. I used to think that way, too. But you know what? We both survived...and we enjoyed the time we had apart. N got some great daddy/daughter time and I spent the weekend away with some amazing women. I had the opportunity to recharge my batteries and upon my return to my sweet reality, I felt like a new me. I'm looking forward to have this time with my best friend and creating new memories, but more importantly, I'm excited that I'm giving myself this opportunity to just do me for a few days. |
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December 2017
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