happy month or so of quarantine you beautiful people you. i hope you all are well and thriving as always. now i understand that a lot of us have been trying to figure out how to use this newfound free time more or less. for me one of the things i have been giving some more time to has been exercising. i have been challenging myself with my workouts; trying new things and pushing the reps. one day after my workout i came back to a question that i have been previously asked here and there; how are you able to stay so consistent with your workouts? my answer was always focused on the schedule i made, which don’t get me wrong is super important as we are creatures of habit, but i was missing the most important part.

after discussing one of the chapters in Emily Wilson Hussem’s book “Go Bravely” i realized that i was only able to stick to my schedule/routine because of how important exercising is to me. the question should not be how are you able to stay consistent, but should instead be why do you exercise? why is it important to you?

far too often when we think of exercising it is this tedious thing that we feel we need to do. whether it is because “everyone” else is doing it, or because we don’t fit into the “ideal” image that others think we should be, but if we are exercising because of others expectations on how our body should look chances are it will not be enough to fuel the fire that wakes you up every day to go and get those gains.

“the important piece is remembering to exercise because you love your body, not because you hate it.”

each day i work out i am doing it solely for myself. exercising makes not only my body feel good, but it increases my confidence. i get to challenge myself, see my improvement, and produce more energy for my day. sure i like seeing the progress of my muscles, but do i let that stop me from eating the yummy warm moist banana bread that has chocolate chips in it i made the other afternoon? not a chance. other days i’ll order a salad, but not because i’m on a diet. sometimes my body needs more veggies. i create a balance in my exercise and the food i consume because i love the temple god gave me so much i want to treat and care for it to my best ability. plus one thing i have noticed growing up is that my body rather eat healthy food, because it keeps me more energized, helps with digestion, and overall makes me happier!

when we work out and keep to it we are saying that we recognize and love the body we have been given and want it to be healthy. thus we care and nourish it in a way that best suits our needs. remember our journeys will not look the same as others, but regardless each of us is a beautiful creation, even when we don’t feel it. maybe it’s time we wake up, look ourselves in the mirror, and say some powerful words. remind us of who we are, where we came from, and focus on our strengths. let’s make our morning mantra be to tell ourselves, “ i love you so much” because we do things for those we love - even ourselves. we need some of our own loving too. working out should have nothing to do with anyone else or their ideas of you. this is all about you. do it for you boo.

which all comes full circle back to any other dreams/goals your heart might desire. thing is they are ours. nobody else. we don’t need anyone’s approval to go for it (even your parents). nobody else will understand the dream like you do, but it's okay because they don’t have to. we are the ones who have to put in the work and make the sacrifices, because if we don’t.. well it won’t become a reality - simple. as. that. our actions and our consequences come down to us.

you have the time but are your dreams and goals a priority or are they just a nice idea to think about? i love this quote and i hope it gets you thinking as much as it got me thinking.

“instead of saying ‘i don’t have time’ try saying ‘it’s not a priority” and see how that feels.

if you have made it this far comment one dream/goal you have and one way you can get closer to it! i am curious how many people read the whole post and also curious about your dreams! plus they say when you write them down and speak them out you are more likely to accomplish them. who are they? i’m not sure, but it sounds about right - i mean when i write my to-do lists i’m more productive so it’s sort of relatable.

keep thriving loves. you deserve it and remember i love you so much.