Calm the enemy within and the Enemy without doesn't stand a chance

When you read my stories and adventures you need to always remember, these are mine. They may or may not be ‘right’ yet they are what have happened in my life and they all happened for a reason. Whether I liked them or not, that’s not the reason I share them with you. I share them with you so that you realize that people, at any stage in their lives, are people. We are all human and we all experience life. It’s what we do with those experiences that matter most.

I've been blessed with SO Many wonderful  experiences this year !!!!! 

Today I reflect back on all that has occurred in my past year. Instead of looking at all the negatives I want to lean in on the positives, yet if it were not from the negatives, I’d not be able to have the positives.

My year started off, well knowing that my career with the company that I was at for almost 17 yrs, was going to be ending soon, yet I continued through the training for a figure competition that I had signed up for. The training was intense, required determination, time and attention, yet it was the best thing that I could have ever done for myself. For it pushed me to limits I’d never imagined that I had inside. It helped me to know that I’m able to face unknown fears with the utmost integrity and that no matter how difficult life seems, there’s ALWAYS a brighter side!!! 

In March, I was laid off and given a huge wakeup call along with all the emotions that go hand in hand with losing a job. Grief was a process well known to myself, yet still so foreign.

In May, I competed as a figure competitor and challenged every inch of my soul on a stage with many other beautiful women, while being judge and completely vulnerable in front of not only myself, but my entire family.

The beginning of June, I took another wild adventure and signed up with a well-known photographer and went a step farther with my growing business and created some amazing photos. Which, was another stretch for me as I’ve always had to work on thinking I was ‘beautiful’ yet after I shot that photo shoot I gained even more confidence than the competition and the rest of life had created for me.

In June, I was able to enjoy a WONDERFUL vacation with my children and my sister’s family in

Portland Oregon. For the first time in many years, I was able to connect with my baby sister and how comforting it felt to have that connection.

In July, there were more local photo shoots as well as some video footage that was captured, to continue on with what I’d created through the training and work for the competition. During this

month I also began a relationship with a man who I’ll never forget, for he only showed me that love is still possible and adventure is allowed to go with that.

In August, I was gifted and blessed to join a team where we traveled to Chicago to train and work with not only the Mayo Clinic but also the phenomenal program, LiveSTRONG, and begin to integrate it into the local YMCA.

I was also honored and privileged to travel to NYC to experience a Red Carpet event and meet the entire team that works on The Platform Magazine!! It was an EPIC adventure and I’ll never forget it, as well as only hope for more Red Carpet Events. From NYC, I traveled to Colorado for more adventures and to see more of the exceptional views of God’s land.

 There were actually many trips to Colorado between August and November, to share not only with my spirit and soul but also with my children. We we’re all very blessed to have been given the opportunities to see so many wonderful designs from God.

In September, I was honored to be requested as a judge for the Fit and Fabulous Mom’s Contest in Boca Raton, Florida. This was an amazing event for it shared with me that no matter what your venue in life is, you are able to achieve the impossible. It was exciting to see all the beautiful women get on stage and show off all the work that they put into changing their lives and becoming more.

In November, I had to face a ‘break up’ and it wasn’t the easiest ordeal to overcome,  nor will I ever feel as though there was complete closure, yet, what doesn’t break you makes you stronger and this I KNOW is true.

In December, I’ve been blessed to end my year with a conference to complete the training for the LiveSTRONG program and to begin the plans for a solid initiation into the local YMCA. We traveled to St. Louis MO and had a fabulous time enjoying yet, my last trip for the year.

So you see – there were many upsets in my world this year, yet through them all, I’ve grown and realized that I need to rely on Faith and continue to work on myself and my spirituality. For Its within that matters most, for the enemy will not harm you when the enemy within is calmed.

To all who touched my heart this year, I’ll be forever grateful, for if it wasn’t for you coming into my world, I’d  not be who I am today nor would I have the experience I have had which would never have led to my wisdom and knowledge to move on with this journey here on earth.