​I know most selfless person in the entire world.  This person will literally put their emotions aside for anyone and anything.  I have never known a situation where this person has put their feelings before someone else’s.  And I know, I preach all the time about putting your own happiness first, but I cannot help but envy this person for how selfless they are.
 
This person knows how to respects elders, is young enough to be adventurous and try new things, but old enough to have the maturity of a 80 year old.  I love the drive that this person shows every single day.  When they go to work, they give it their all.  It may not be the most desirable job in the world, and there are definitely better ones out there… but that doesn’t stop them.  They push through it because at the end of the day, they know that they enjoy what they are doing.  Every day that goes by, they are providing for their future and they have never taken their eye off that price.
 
This person is a she.  She is creative…my goodness is she creative.  She can sit for hours and let her creativity just flow.  The best part is, it is always beautiful.  No matter what she creates, the world loves it.  The entire world would fall in love with her if they had the chance.  She has a handful of close friends and she is still friends with people whom she has known since she was a little girl.  I think it is truly beautiful when people pull this off… it doesn’t happen for everyone, but for the people it does happen for, it is beautiful.
 
She is hilarious.  And I am not talking like your center of attention, attracting the crowd kind of hilarious… I’m talking the best kind of hilarious.  She has her own kind of humor and she finds humor and happiness in the smallest of things.  She can light up the room with her smile, her big eyes, and bright personality.
 
She has pushed me for as long as I can remember.  She has never once given up on me and I don’t know how I will ever be able to thank her for that.  Every time something is wrong, she is my go-to girl.  No one has ever been able to give me advice like she can.  And you know what?  She’s always right.  Like I said, she has the knowledge of an 80 year old woman…and it amazes me everyday that I was blessed with her presence.
 
Have you guess who SHE is yet?  No?
 
Her name is Shelby Leigh Marcey and she is my older sister.  She is the best damn thing that has ever happened to me and I thank God everyday for her.  She has known me since the day I was born and she has still stuck around all this time.  And yeah, she is my biological sister, but that doesn’t mean anything.  I’ve seen families fall apart.  I’ve seen people not give their families love and affection.  I’ve seen siblings give up on each other… but not Shelby and I.  We have always had such a strong bond.  She is truly my best friend and I know for a fact that nothing can replace the love of my sister.  Even though she lives 9 hours away and she won’t have kids yet… she is still the best sister in the entire world.
 
You might have been able to guess one other person when I was describing Shelby.  That is my mother.  Yeah, my mother is also my go-to girl.  She is THE most creative woman I have ever had the pleasure to meet and she never ever steers me wrong with her advice.  Nothing in this world could replace the love of a mother and I am so glad that I have the best one.  She makes me laugh, she helps me when I want to cry, and she has always put my sister and I first.  Incase you were wondering, yes, Shelby is literally my mother in the best and worst way possible.  They fight the same, they give the same advice, and they think the same corny jokes are hilarious... I know this is exactly what you wanted to hear sissy ;)

My mother and my father have shown me what love truly is and I am so blessed to have witnessed it. I am blessed for the family I have, and I don’t take it for granted.  But no, my family is not perfect.  We argue, sometimes I hate what my parents cook for dinner, the kitchen isn’t always clean, I feel like I am the one always cleaning the toilets, we walk around in our underwear, and we laugh at things we definitely should not laugh at… but they are my family and nothing will ever be able to change that.  I love the family that I was given because they are MY family, they have made me who I am today.  We are crazy, annoying, loud, and I can’t go 30 minutes cuddling Bubba without my dad coming in and bugging us… but you know what?  I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I really wouldn’t.  I hope everyone really takes a minute to thank God for your parents and siblings.  You were given them for a reason.

Moral of the story, love your family and the ones close to you, whoever that may be.

I started school today and I have officially taken to first step in becoming a certified personal trainer today, yay!  My classes this summer are sport & law and biomechanics… It is going to be a lot of work, but it is only for one month, I can push through.  Had a nice talk with my mama yesterday, I always love the long talks we have.  Started my week out strong with a killer back workout yesterday and a killer leg workout today.

Also- I consumed ONE thing today that I didn’t plan on.  I got an iced coffee from Dunkin’ (sorry Justin) because they’re cheap right now… so why not? ;)  But otherwise I am super proud of my meal & snack choices today…I’m going to wake up with so much energy tomorrow, that is truly the best part of making healthy choices.  Don’t get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth and I love french fries.  But at the end of the day, if I know that sweet potato fries and a strawberry cheesecake fiber one bar will fulfill my desire for unhealthier options… I will choose that!  I love waking up full of energy.
 
So I was scrolling through Pinterest earlier for some new shoulder workouts (if anyone has any new ones, send them my way, ya girl is getting tired of hers) and I came across some pretty good quotes.  Originally, my post for today was going to be about carbohydrates, but I will save that for later this week!  I’m super excited about that post though.  So here are some good ones that I came across, happy Monday everyone!
 
I sent out a cute picture on in a Facebook message this morning to some people to start their days off on the right note (with a smile!), and when people responded and laughed, it made me feel good.  Always good to start the day off on the right foot…especially a Monday!
 
“Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters”
Initially, this reminded me Grandma.  Grandma’s passing showed me what really matters in life, and that is happiness.  I know what Grandma would be telling me the past few years, I just don’t think I would’ve listened to it.  I’ve known for years what I should’ve been doing all along; I just never fully did it.  It is one of those things that you know is right, but you are scared to make the leap of faith and just do it.  I've always been scared to come out of my comfort zone...until I finally just took the leap.  But with time, you will gain the confidence and strength within yourself that you will need to overcome anything.  Because in time, you will be happy…  What really matters in life is being happy.  Time has a wonderful way of showing you what happiness is.
 
“Have the maturity to know that sometimes silences is more powerful than having the last word”
Oh Shelby, how this reminds me of when we were little.  It makes me realize how different things have gotten as I have grown up.  To me, it is so much easier to walk away from a situation than it is to speak in circles with someone else.  If the relationship is worth it, is it meant to talk over?  Sure.  But that decision is for YOU to make.  Not everyone will agree, and that is okay.  If you are able to take a deep breath and feel the release of anger whilst keeping your mouth shut…you hade made it.  Although for the record Shelby, I did always get the last word in…and I always won ;)  (Crazy how this many years later and this is still the first thing that comes to mind when I read this quote!  So blessed to have my sister and our relationship.)
 
“We’re getting too old to be explaining what people already know they’re doing wrong”
I was actually talking to Jess about this today!  We were talking about how people know they should recycle but they don’t.  I have an issue where I feel the need to help everyone…but not everyone wants your help (and I know others suffer from this too, Jess being one of them when it comes to recycling).  You need to be mindful enough to realize that some people know their flaws…they just don’t want to work on fixing them.  And you also need to be mature enough to realize that there are people who believe they have no flaws…therefore you cannot help them.  You need to look at it like: I’m willing to help anyone willing to help him or herself.   And although this worries me because the first thing that comes to mind when I read this is doing personal training… It’s easy to think you want something, but sometimes it is hard to actually follow through with it.  It is going to be a learning process, just like everything in life.
 
“Revealing the truth is like lighting a match.  It can bring light or it can set your world on fire”
Sometimes, it can do both.  It can set your world on fire, in the best way possible.  It can set your world on fire with passion and desire to achieve a new level of mental freedom that you’ve never believed to be possible.  Looking at these quotes in different views can make them even more meaningful.  Always take it a little too far, because that it usually where you will find the truth.  Try it sometime.
 
“If you don’t think you have any blessings, remember your heart is still beating”
I love this so much.  Sometimes, not everything is great.  Sometimes, we face battles and we lose them.  It happens, but we always move on.  It is a blessing to wake up everyday.  For me, it’s very easy to start my day off with positivity.  Keeping it throughout the day is the struggle, hell, that is the struggle for everyone.  You have to fight for what you want.  I don’t have everything right now, but I am finding happiness in the things that I do have.  The part that amazed me…was how easy it was to find this happiness in the small things I never really looked at.  Sometimes we get so wrapped around the thought about how life is supposed to be, we forget about how life really is.  Once you learn to drop the ‘expectations’ you think you need to meet, finding happiness in what you have comes very naturally.  I am happy that I can wake up at 7am without an alarm every morning and have the energy to start my day.  I am happy that I am able to work on my blog whenever I want.  I am happy that I have a house with 2 dogs and loving parents to come home to.  I am happy that I have a little car that looks like a bug.  I am happy about the hopes and dreams I have because they are getting closer and closer to reality everyday.  Everything doesn’t have to be perfect for you to be happy.  So don’t think for a second that just because you have issues in your life, that means you cannot be happy.  I know you could find things in your life to be happy about; you just have to look for them! (I bet you don’t have to look very hard either ;))
 
“People may not always tell you how they feel, but the will show you.  Pay attention”
Eh, or people will tell you and not show you.  Paying attention to people’s actions that follow up with their words is more important than focusing only on their words.  It is so easy to say something, but it’s harder to do it.  On Saturday I was running on 4 hours of sleep, driving back from Sami’s graduation then having to wake up at 5:30 to babysit…wasn’t easy.  I went out with Jess, Lauren, and Justin Saturday night for some drinks and I got really cranky come 11:30.  On the way home, I told Justin why I got cranky (because I was tired and was getting a ‘tired’ headache), and he cut me off, told me to calm down, and told me he would take care of me.  Hearing someone say that is so meaningful…but he truly does follow up with it.  He always has my best interest at heart and it shows with his daily actions.  These are the kinds of people you need to surround yourself with.  But you can’t have him; he’s mine ;)

Have a good week!

​To the person who conquered their almost,
You are so strong and I need you to know that.  I don’t know your almost, just like you don’t know mine… but I want to let you know that you won.  You conquered the battle.  You are victorious.
 
How long have you been fighting this almost? 2 weeks? 5 months? 8 years?  Well, however long it was, it was worth it.  Every last second led you to where you are right now.  All of the tears, the wondering which decision was right, the feelings of being lost.  They’re all gone; because you finally won.  All the times you thought everything was against you?  Well guess what, now everything is with you.
 
Was it really that hard?  Let’s be honest, at some point in this winning battle, it took you about 20 seconds of pure courage.  20 seconds to do something that would change your life for the better.  The week, months, or years that you spent hurting… it’s all over, thanks to 20 damn seconds.  Look at you now.  You can smile.  You can breathe.  You are free.
 
You overcame your almost.  Almost letting a bully run your life.  Almost picking up the bottle again.  Almost hurting yourself.  Almost giving into peer pressure.  Almost taking your own life.  Almost choosing to stay somewhere you are not welcome.  Whatever your almost may be… it is now in the past, completely behind you.
 
I want you think about what it was that gave you those 20 seconds.  Was it a person?  Was it a pet?  A picture? A memory?  A Facebook post? What it was, you owe it a prayer.  Whatever it was, it was in the right place at the right time.  Everything happens for a reason and every door that God opens or closes for you is for a reason.  When one closes another will open.
 
Now this whole time, I was talking about already being on the other side of your almost.  I have been talking about being on one cliff and jumping over to the other one.  Standing up on your own two feet with your back towards the past, walking forward.  But what I haven’t touched on is the jump over.  The middle ground.  What if you have just completed your 20 seconds of courage… And now you’re questioning what happens next?
 
Well, that’s a good question.  Sometimes you may need time.  Every situation is different.  Sometimes, you have absolutely NO idea what is going to happen next and that is completely fine.  Part of the beauty of life is not knowing what is going to happen.  Hell, I have no idea what I will be doing in 6 months, but I know it will be something that makes me smile.  How do I know that?  Because I have settled before and I’ll never do that again.  Is my life perfect?  No.  But do I know what it means to be truly happy?  Yes.  Therefore, as long as I choose something that makes me happy, it will be the perfect choice.  But there’s no reason to stress about 6 months from now.  Worry about what you can be doing right now to get you to where you want to be in 6 months.
But with saying that, sometimes you don’t need time.  Sometimes you know exactly what you need to get done and you will get to it.  If you need time to yourself first, take it.  By all means, you deserve it.  But if you know the nest step, don’t be afraid to take it.  You already took the leap of faith.  You already made it to the other side.  You are safe here.  You have so many supporters rooting you on.
 
The almost tried to stop you.  The almost tried to bring you down.  But it didn’t. You didn’t give the almost that much power and I am so glad you didn’t.

I am an intuitive eater.  I don’t diet.  I don’t like to give myself rules I must abide by and I certainly don’t tell myself I’m not allowed to eat something.  The reason I chose this path versus a strict diet is because I realized that life is too short to limit myself of the things I love.  To me, dieting is not healthy.  When I talk about being healthy, I’m not talking about eating a salad, running 5 miles, and BAM all of a sudden you are healthy.  That seems to be the general public’s version of healthy nowadays.  My version of healthy is more of a holistic approach: mind, body, and spirit.
 
I know what healthy foods are and I eat them because they give me energy and make me feel good.  But you know what else makes me feel good?  --Pizza (my favorite food) and ice cream.  I am not going to tell myself I can’t eat something, because for what?  All so I can make my body look a certain way?  The thing is, I don’t workout because I hate my body.  I don’t do anything because I hate my body.  I love my body; I love everything about it.  I workout and I eat healthy because I LOVE my body.
 
I’ve tried counting macros, I’ve tried cycling, I’ve even tried vegan.  Nothing worked because nothing felt natural.  What feels natural is listening to my body.  Listening to when I am hungry, when I am full, and when I am just thirsty.  I have become so attune to my body and it is the best change I have ever made in my life.  I don’t worry about counting calories or anything like that.  When I am hungry, I eat… The reason that I keep my figure while using this approach is because I make good choices and I exercise.

Along with this post, I decided to track everything I ate yesterday.  I wanted some chips, so I told myself one handful was enough.  My meal prep is going to go bad if I don't finish it all, so I threw some of my broccoli, ground turkey, and rice in with one egg and called it breakfast!  I tried hummus with some bell pepper for lunch.  And for dinner?  Rachel wanted California Pizza Kitchen.  Pizza is truly my favorite food.  Yesterday, I knew that I had eaten so well, so I decided pizza was the way to go for dinner!  Instead of getting our own pizza, we split a pizza and a salad!  Our salad had some avocado, chicken, tomatoes, and egg on it and our pizza was just cheese!  And after?  You guessed it, Rachel and I LOVE ice cream so of course, we grabbed a kiddy cup!  It is all about moderation and still making smart choices even when you are eating on the unhealthy side.  There is not reason to call this a 'cheat' meal.  Because I am not cheating on anything!  I don't understand 'cheat' meals.  If you just eat foods that fuel your body and you don't limit yourself, you won't feel obligated to binge on a box of donuts because you have been telling yourself no for so long.  Don't deprive yourself, that is where problems start to arise!
 
Okay so here- for those of you that don’t know what intuitive eating is, it is basically eating foods that are healthy for you and but limiting yourself of the foods that make your soul happy.  Let your body guide you.
There are 5 keys to intuitive eating:
Eat when you are hungry
Stop eating when you are full
Do not deprive yourself of anything
Exercise
Trust yourself
 
The point of intuitive eating is to learn how to listen to your body.  Sometimes when we think we feel hunger, we are really just thirsty or bored.  Sometimes we are full and we don’t realize it because we aren’t listening for the signs.  It is something that takes time to learn. I’m not perfect at eating intuitively.  Sometimes I eat too much and sometimes I don’t trust my body.  We are all human, nothing we do is perfect; we just have to keep trying until we reach a comfortable spot for OUR bodies.  Find YOUR happy spot.
 
I have myself on a eating schedule that I try my best to stick to.  Justin always jokes about how I am always hungry.  My schedule is trying to eat something every 2-3 hours.  If I can’t meet this time frame, I will make sure I have some water on me so I can make sure to keep my metabolism in check.  Everything I do: meal prep, plan workouts, plan my day out around when I will eat/workout; is because it keeps me on a set schedule.  I have come to finally understand my body.  I know when it is hungry, I know when I have enough energy to run, and I know if I will have enough energy in me to push through a lifting session.  I know after a workout I need a mixture of carbohydrates and protein and the only reason I keep an eye on my dairy intake is because the bloating it gives me makes me feel uncomfortable.
 
The best change I ever made was becoming an intuitive eater.  I love my major for really teaching me about this topic.  I know about nutrition, I know about lifting weights, and I now know so much more about my body and what it can handle.  I don’t shoot for a skinny look and I’m not constantly trying to remove every ounce of fat off my body.  I am a woman.  I am a healthy woman.  My body fat percentage is in the healthy range and I am happy when I look in the mirror… must I really NEED to diet?  I wish that I could share this new way of life with everyone.  I feel so free in my choices and I am truly happy.
 
Don’t focus on lifting weights to tone under your arms.  Don’t focus on eating a salad to become skinny.  Don’t focus on running to lose fat.
 
Focus on lifting weights so you have strong bones, muscle strength, and a healthy body.  Focus on eating a salad because you want to ADD more vegetables in your diet.  And lastly, focus on running BECAUSE YOU ENJOY RUNNING!  Stop making yourself live to the standards because society thinks you need to.  If you want a beer, drink one.  If you don’t want to go for a run, don’t go for a run.  As long as you FEEL healthy, your doctor agrees that you are healthy, and you are in love with the person you are… then to me, everything will keep falling right into place.
 
Focus on yourself because you love yourself.