I am about two weeks away from a weekend getaway to NYC that will be spent visiting a really good friend of mine from college as well as the super strong RKC II Marshall Roy (by the way Mr. Marshall, I hope you are excited as I am about this visit. WOOT WOOT!). Yesterday, I received a phone call from my college pal up in New York who wanted to finalize some travel plans with me before my arrival. The conversation that should have lasted 15 minutes ended up going over an hour because…well…when you’re finally find the time to catch up with old friends, you find out you had ten times as much to catch up on than you originally thought.
It’s all good! I’m always up for a good chat!
After discussing the details of my arrival and departure, we got on the subject of how our attitudes have changed dramatically over the years in reference to how we approach challenging situations. At age 25, I dove head first into the fitness industry and am learning the ins and outs of actually operating my own businesses. My friend, the Burgher gone New Yorker, is doing internships left and right to gain experience as a professional editor (and if you heard of some of the companies she was writing for, your jaw would drop! This woman is beyond talented, and that’s real talk ya heard?) Had you taken a hard look at us years ago, you would have never thought we’d end up as successful as we are at the age as we are (fyi: we are both 25). I wasn’t always in this good of shape. In fact, I used to do a lot of things polar opposite to anything health related. My friend was much the same when it came to writing. She would write novel long literary works without ever getting the credit she well deserved for her hard work. For years, we watched each other battle through our own frustrations with our career choices until the light bulb went off in our brains.
Our attitudes were working against us. Our own negative thought patterns were sabotaging our goals.
I asked my friend yesterday about what she thought the key to success was when it came to her own writing career. She told me a story about how she grew up in the middle of no where with a dream to go to the best school in a big city and travel around the world pouring her heart out on paper. She told me that by merely believing that this vision she had was a real possibility and NOT a dream, she was able to mentally endure any stressful circumstances that would tempt her to fall off her course of action. To quote her verbatim, “Just by keeping my outlook positive, no matter what the hell was happening, I was able to make my dreams a reality.” And guess what? She’s at the best school in a big city and is about to travel the world pouring her heart out on paper. How cool is that?
So…what does this have to do with the nutrition/fitness world?
By merely visualizing your own success, you are able to mentally prepare for your fitness goals. Find out what it is you are trying to achieve and start by writing it down on paper. Maybe you want to lose a certain amount of weight over a period of time . Maybe you are looking for some serious strength gains. Whatever the case may be, write it down and make a logical plan about how you want to achieve such goals. Then, visualize it. Spend 5 or 10 minutes with your eyes closed imagining that you are exactly what you are on that sheet of paper. I can promise you, that by maintaining this practice, you are actually able to calm your nervous system and allow yourself to maintain that same calmness to make adequate decisions for your goals. Circumstances, whatever they may be, then melt away and possibilities become endless. By merely imagining yourself as exactly the way you want to be, you’re able to create your own set of positive circumstances to make your dreams come true.
Another friend of mine is a Systema instructor and has a YouTube video out there discussing this very topic. Check it out here!
That’s all I have for yinz today. Remember to eat smart, train hard, and enjoy your life. Don’t stand let your circumstances dictate your fate and remember that you have the power to choose the life you want to live!
Love Always,
Janelle
This blog post is dedicated to my close friend Megan, who always reached for the stars and encouraged me to do just the same. Can’t wait to see you in NYC kiddo! 🙂
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