I recently finished an eight week long workout program from start to finish. Please, hold the applause. Yes, I did indeed pay for an entire year to workout in my living room, with no one to breathe in my sweaty armpits but my dog. This was something that I have been pushing myself to do for some time now. No, I am not one of those psycho’s who runs for fun, and I most certainly do not enjoy “feeling the burn”, but as I am working my way through my 20’s, health, and self-care are slowly becoming more and more important to me. It took me a long time to begin this journey, partially because the tiny voice in the back of my head often whispered that I was incapable of completing something such as this, due to my frequent inability to finish things that I have started. I have a long history of buying the $1 down gym memberships just like every other New Years Resolution holder, to better my appearance and self-image for maybe 3 weeks, as I continue to pay that measly $35 a month, acting as if I will get my ass back to the gym as soon as life dies back down – isn’t that a joke, sister you’re never getting that $400 back.
This year seemed to be somewhat different. That tiny voice in my head was whispering just a little bit quieter. I took that as an opportunity to pull my own scared, quivering, yet motivating voice out from the shadows. I made the decision to silence the negative, self-loathing mindset, and let myself blossom into the person that I wanted to become. So, I asked myself. “Why can’t you finish this?” “What is the sole reason you can’t complete the things that you want most in this world?” My answer – Doubt, and the mindset that settling for something that fulfills me in the moment, is worth sacrificing my goals in the end. Don’t get me wrong, girl if you’re at your nephews first birthday party, you eat that piece of cheesecake – it would be a disservice to yourself and the cheesecake factory if you passed up that opportunity, but don’t sit there and eat an entire bag of Baked BBQ Lays and tell yourself it’s okay because they’re baked. Yes, I may be speaking from experience..
I am always perusing Instagram and Facebook, following those lifestyle bloggers with their inspirational quotes, and sexy pictures on some beach in the Caribbean living their best life, as I am thinking to myself – “I could never look like that” or “They have all the time in the world to work on themselves and mold such an influential, desirable lifestyle” and then I thought to myself – “why the hell can’t I?” Yes, I may never become a social media influencer, or a famous blog writer, but what I can do for myself, is keep pushing towards my goals while celebrating the small victories. That is exactly why I celebrated completing 60 days of bettering my health with a big ol’ snickerdoodle cookie dough blizzard from Dairy Queen – size small. I encourage you all to celebrate the small hurdles you have surpassed leading you on the way to your goals. Lost 2 pounds – celebrate. Finished a pile of paperwork – celebrate. Three days smoke free – celebrate. Got 5 more likes on Instagram than yesterday – celebrate. Whatever your goals are, celebrate the baby steps on the ride there, feed off of that momentum, and keep going.
As for myself, year 25 is really throwing me for a loop. I have never stepped so far out of my safely padded box, i’m not sure if I am confident, nauseas, or damn right out of my mind, but I am loving the person I am becoming. My advice to you all – stop letting the tiny whisper in the back of your head dictate what you can and can’t do. Celebrate the crawl, the baby steps, all the way up until you’re running the marathon. You are the social media influencer of your own life – don’t let Sarah on her Caribbean island stop you from living your best life.
The 25-Year-Old Grandma 