With that in mind–that my brain and body have learned to associate working out with a feeling of absolute euphoria–my head normally pops off the pillow in the morning pumped to go work out. BUT. There are times when I completely lack motivation to work out. Time away from that conditioned response (an annoyingly small amount of time, even) and it’s unfortunately too easy for me to fall into a rut.

I recently hit one of these aforementioned ruts that sidetracked me from my vigor for working out. These ruts often start innocently enough–sickness, travel, birthdays, holidays, anything out of the ordinary. Then suddenly, it’s been a week since I’ve worked out but–worse still–it feels like it’s been a year. I’m bloated. I’m grumpy. I feel sluggish. I’m eating more than I should, etc. Missing boot camp once is a dangerous thing, but if I go right back I can avoid the big consequences. If I miss two in a row, then forget it. It’s like health anarchy over here.

It’s the most difficult for me to keep trying my hardest when I feel like my hardest doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. It’s easy for me to be excited to work out when I’m in the groove. Maintenance is so much easier than getting started or getting back to it after some time off. But you know what? Working out is what I need the most usually when it’s what I want the least.

And yes, it’s painful–embarrassing sometimes–to go out there and sweat and toil to do the exercises that I’d be much better at doing had I not missed boot camp. But, if I’m afraid to struggle, I’ll never get better. It takes work, struggle sometimes, to improve. So, come Monday, I’ve got to hit the boot camps harder than usual. I’m planning to do “doubles,” people. This means back-to-back sessions. I’ve never done this. I’ll report back with an update of how it goes.

In sum, when you make mistakes in your workout routine–heck, in life in general–don’t beat yourself up. 

Resilience and adaptation are crucial to long-term success. Wherever you are, whatever you’ve done or not done, just keep trying. Especially when you don’t feel like it. Those moments are the ones where we decide who we are. When we can learn to forgive ourselves when necessary, push ourselves when possible, and understand that well-being is a lifelong journey.

I’ve heard people describe mental fatigue in many different ways. I usually see it in excuses. We know that it isn’t enough to just go to a class or attempt a run. You have to be fully engaged, and ready to battle the physical and mental challenges that will inevitably face you. How do you do that? How do your realize that it takes a hell of a lot more energy to become physically fatigued (especially if you are not dealing with an injury) than it is to become mentally fatigued.  You could give in to these excuses: maybe you didn’t eat enough before your workout after all? But will you spend the rest of the day beating yourself up because you didn’t truly BRING IT when you had the opportunity?

We’ve had guest bloggers, and I know that we all share the same notion that the benefits of being physically active as often as possible are immeasurable. But what if I told you this: working out for 30-60 minutes a day is still only considered lightly active. Most of us don’t make our living on a pro sports team, so we spend a lot of time looking forward to being active, but not really being able to, at the amount of energy needed to burn calories, or fat!

In the grand scheme of things, it is a fraction of your day, but it is one of the most important. The energy you put out should directly correlate with the energy you consume if you want to maintain your weight. That doesn’t mean you should give in to that nagging little voice that tells you that you need a hug and cookie just because you don’t want to do any more crunches. I want you to get that hug when you get home. I want you to replace that cookie with a piece of fruit. I want you to recognize that 60 minutes spent working your hardest shouldn’t be disqualified with fatty foods. I also want you to see that if you aren’t working at your hardest for those 60 minutes, that you’re really putting your mind and body at a disservice.

I believe that doing your best, for yourself, will get you the best results. And when you can see that excuse or that reason to quit, you should push harder. Concentrate more on what you are doing rather than why you shouldn’t. Look at those excuses as your former self, your former jealous co-worker, or your former lover who degraded you or held you back. Your new self recognizes those reasons to stop as reasons NOT TO STOP. 

As you enter the next few weeks of boot camp or move on in whatever training you embarked on our own, recognize your weakest self, and ask him/her to please step aside so you can get what you want from your body and feel as hot as you already know you are by allowing yourself to feel stronger. Come to class ready to go: water, weights, mat. Wear something that makes you feel more attractive, not covered up! It will help! I promise! And in a month, or whatever your personal time limit is to accomplish your goal, you will see a difference. With every understanding and memory of exactly how you got there.

There are times in life when I used to wonder how certain clients just couldn’t see how beautifully capable they are. I watch them take that extra mile, an extra set of stairs, or discipline themselves with a clean diet! But still they wore doubt. I know they can, but how will they unless they try? All of these secrets, and my ambition for my clients is all met with a goal. The goal may be seemingly outside of their reach, but they meet it with eagerness and fear. The eagerness to surprise themselves, the fear to disappoint.

I find that every time the gauntlet is thrown, my clients rise. In this acceptance of my duel, they tend to find a new confidence and swagger that can only be met by surpassing one’s own expectations for themselves. In this session of bootcamp, I have switched up and exceeded my own expectations on how to dare my clients. I find that as soon as I am able to show them how accomplished they are physically, the more excited they’ll be to get to the next level. And I’ll be there, cheering and coaching them all the way through their apprehension. With a hug at the finish line and a new challenge in my pocket to prove to them again how much better they can feel about themselves than they already do.

Here are the regular and advanced versions. It’s kind of like regular or extra crispy..man do I miss fried chicken!

**Notes: Heavy means use a heavier set of hand weights (5-8 lbs for women, 10-20lbs for men). Light means use a lighter set of hand weights (1-2 lbs for women, 5-8 for men). If you need any supplies click HERE to get some of my favorites!

Parker Challenge 6th Edition – REGULAR

Start with a run to California OR 2 Flights of Montana Ave Stairs
*Intermediate students DO BOTH run & 2 stairs. If you don’t live in L.A. run 1 mile, or 10 mins on the elliptical.

20 – Weighted (Heavy) Toes Out Squats (Low)
20 – Jump Squats
20 – Weighted (Heavy) Standing Shoulder Press
20 – High Plank Push-ups OR Push-Ups on Knees
50 – Weighted (Heavy) Seated Mason Ab Twist (Click HERE to see video)

2 Flights of Stairs. Or run 1 mile, or 10 mins on the eliptical.

Hold Low Plank & slowly count to 75
Hold Chair Sit & slowly count to 75
30 – Super Skater Jumps
75 – Bicycle Crunches (Try the Parker Bicycle)

Run to San Vicente OR 2 Flights of Stairs OR Walk with weights to Marguerita. OR run 1 mile, or 10 mins on the eliptical.

50 – Weighted (Light) Toes Out Squats (Plie style)
20 – Jump Squats50 – Weighted (Light) Standing Shoulder Press
30 – Push-ups from your knees
100 – Weighted (Light) OR Unweighted Seated Mason Ab Twist

Hold Low Plank & slowly count to 75
Hold Chair Sit & slowly count to 75
50- Super Skater Jumps
150 – Bicycle Crunches

BONUS
3 Flights of stairs with bridge. OR. Run or walk to San Vicente. OR run 1 mile, or 15 mins on the eliptical.

Parker Challenge 6th Edition – ADVANCED

ADVANCED STUDENTS – start with a run to The Pier. OR run 2.2 miles, or 20 mins on the eliptical.

20 – Weighted (Heavy) Toes Out Squats (Low)
30 – Jump Squats
20 – Weighted (Heavy) Standing Shoulder Press
30 – High Plank Push-ups
50 – Weighted (Heavy) Seated Mason Ab Twist

2 Flights of Stairs WITH bridge & spiral staircase. OR run 1.3 miles, or 15 mins on the eliptical.

Hold Low Plank & slowly count to 75
Hold Chair Sit & slowly count to 75
50 – Super Skater Jumps
150 – Bicycle Crunches

Run to San Vicente quickly. OR run .75 miles or 8 mins on the eliptical.

50 – Weighted (Light) Toes Out Squats
30 – Jump Squats
50 – Weighted (Light) Standing Shoulder Press
30 – High Plank Push-ups
100 – Weighted (Light) Seated Mason Ab Twist

2 Flights of Stairs WITH bridge & spiral staircase. OR run 1.3 mile, or 12 mins on the eliptical.

Hold Low Plank & slowly count to 75
Hold Chair Sit & slowly count to 75
50- Super Skater Jumps
150 – Bicycle Crunches

BONUS RUN
Run down Stairs to beach path. Take beach path to Chautauqua/West Channel.Go under PCH, through tunnel, up West Channel, to Ocean Ave, Right up Ocean Ave, and run on Ocean Ave until you return to our group. OR run 3 miles, or 30 mins on the eliptical.

Here’s the skinny…
1 tbs hemp powder
1 tbs chia seeds
1 tbs walnuts (or other nut desired, i.e. cashews, almonds or nut butter)
1 bunch kale (4-5 leaves, stems stripped & ripped into small pieces)
1/2 avocado
1 tsp spirulina
1/2 tbs flax oil
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup- 1 cup coconut water (depends on how thick you want your smoothie)
Any desired fruit (berries, mango, apple)

I’ve made it easy to get all of these fancy products. Check out what I like to use HERE.

Now just…
1. Add ingredients to your Vitamix.
2. Turn Vitamix on and slowly increase the speed. Switch power to high and blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.
3. Pour in a glass and drink it up!

Want to shake it up a bit?
Add cacao powder (superfood) for a more chocolate taste! Or add mango, a little shredded unsweetened coconut, a couple dates, a dash or cardamom & cinnamon (plus all the other ingredients). What a treat!

I read an article the other day about Angelica Houston. Daughter to a famous father. Winner in the gene pool. She was saying that when she was 28 years old she told her father that she wanted to become an actress. He told her she was too old. And she believed him. Then one day she was in a terrible car accident and she had extensive damage to her face. When she woke up in the hospital, thankfully on the mend, her mortality was suddenly tested and she realized that SHE had to do what she wanted to do. And so she began to act.

I hear stories like that often. How we all walk around with these parts of ourselves we fear tapping into. What would people say? Would my friends think I was insane if I started taking ballet lessons? We teeter-totter, weighing out these decisions. It’s so exhausting, we usually just avoid hearing that little hope in the back of our brains. Distracting ourselves by dissecting other people’s lives or trying to work out other people’s problems. Filling the void by avoiding it.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase, “Do one thing a day that scares you” (or you’ve seen it when making your latest purchase at Lululemon). But have you ever actually entertained it? Would it be a new hairstyle? Would it be showing up to workout in a sports bra? What if this was our challenge? What if making it through these little steps of tenuous and possibly embarrassing moments actually strengthened us to do something bigger. Like go back to school or run a marathon.

The outrageous thoughts that we push aside. Getting a tattoo. Buying the teeny bikini. Wearing the sexiest dress that you just can’t seem to take the tags off of. These are all small things compared to those dreams you entertained as a child. But as we’ve learned through challenging our bodies, challenging your psyche doesn’t go without reward. So stop making excuses! You wouldn’t want it if you didn’t think in some small way that you could have it. So go for it. Start small, but every single day do something that almost terrifies you. Eventually it won’t and a new challenge will be afoot.

Sure you can feel sweat dripping down your face when you workout. You feel hot & you are certain your heart is beating faster. But what does that really mean for your health & fitness level?

To really take your fitness to the next level you should educate yourself and understand how to determine your maximum heart rate and appropriate heart rate percentages. Calculating your maximum heart rate is very easy!

To get your maximum heart rate take 220 minus your age. For example a hot 40 year old will find their max heart rate to be 180. This 180 represents the maximum your heart will be able to beat. To be fair, depending on your fitness level, your heart just may be able to beat fa bit faster. BUT what we are looking at is your MAX. This maximum number is not sustainable, it is not to be held for long period of time. It’s just the ceiling number we will work against.

During aerobic exercise the goal is to never let your heart go below 65%. That is the lowest, at least during aerobic exercise. Often while doing weight or strength training your heart will dip well below 65% of you max heart rate. It’s all about what you are training for. More on that another time.

To get your 65%, take your max number, for example 180, and multiply it by .65 (.65 is how we multiply 65%) 180 times 65% (.65) is 117. Making 117, 65% of your max heart rate. 117 is the lowest amount of beats per minute you want your heart to beat while training your aerobic system.

Now here’s where it gets tricky. The American College of Sports Medicine says your workout range while training your aerobic system should be 65%-85% of your max heart rate.

I don’t agree.

I think you should make the most out of your workout. I think it’s OK, if not preferred, to go above 85% several times during training session. Or at least 2 or 3 of your weekly sessions. How long you hold above 85% is totally up to you. But I don’t think we should try and intentionally pull back into the 65%-85% of heart rate max.

Why is this tricky? A few reasons. First, I’m not a doctor. I’m not even a nurse… or a physical therapist, or a sports medicine specialist, or a professional athlete. I’m just a fitness trainer and I love to workout. I’m simply someone who has found what works for them. *See my specific workout below on how I train with my heart rate monitor.

So to be honest the tricky part falls on you! It’s on YOU to see what YOU think. So play with these numbers and these 65%-85% ranges and investiagte for yourself what works best!

So back to the math. To get your 85% do the same thing! Take your max heart rate and multiply it by 85%. For example our 40 year old. Max heart rate of 180 times .85 equals 153. Now 153 is 85% of our hot 40 year olds max heart rate. Making the ACSM suggested heart rate range while doing aerobic exercise of 65%-85% to be 117 beats per minute – 153 bpm.

HOW DO I TRAIN? Click HERE to get my FAVORITE heart rate monitor.
I make 70% of my heart rate max my base. I try to never get lower than 70%. As for my high number… it’s on! Sky’s the limit! I literally try and see how many times I can spike it like crazy. Now remember this is cardio work… think running, climbing stairs, weighted circuits, plyo, jump rope, racing from one move to the next, lifting heavy weights & doing sprints between sets. You get the idea. Why try and get so high? Ummm calories! I want to burn calories using my aerobic system fast and be done. Now in the interest of full disclosure I do this style of workout 3-4 times a week and my other days I either do yoga, go on 2+ hour walks, spin (when I can stand to be inside), but mostly my other workouts are just longer. They are not as intense, no as fast paced, not as high of a heart rate-just longer. It’s about variety. Not just for my body but for my sanity. I’d go crazy if I did the same damn thing all the time. Wouldn’t you? So I set my heart rate monitor from 70%-100%. Mainly because my Polar watch has a function where I can see how much of my workout duration I was in MY range. I ONLY want to see when I fall out of 70%. I don’t want to be penalized for out of range when I spike above %85. That’s why I set it to 70%-100%. When I review my range my goal is to see that  I never fall below 70% of my heart rate max.

Again… you must find what works best for YOU!

I’d seriously love your feedback! Let me know what works for you. Let me know if you have questions. This stuff is so exciting when it clicks that I would LOVE for you to share!

Since I have been trying really hard not to eat meat or  eat too late in the evening, these cravings usually need to be really well thought out.  While doing my weekly shopping at Trader Joe’s I found the most beautiful eggplant. Even though it’s not normally a go-to for me, I’ve been trying to step outside of my box as far as food goes. Also, with a diet consisting mostly of vegetables, I’m running the hell out of things to eat!

So here it goes: Meatless/Cheese-less Eggplant Parmesan. I looked up a few vegan recipes but they didn’t really appeal to me. What I find that I have the most success with is recipes from the Cooking Light website and omitting the cheese, and adding more spice since I’ve been really getting more satiation from spicy foods recently. They have the calorie count as well, which helps me stay in a reasonable ballpark!

I peeled and sliced the eggplant, then put it in the broiler for 3 minutes on each side, as the recipe states. Then I made the mushroom mixture (mushrooms, onions, dash of salt, oregano, basil, and two garlic cloves). You just sautee it on medium heat for about 7 minutes covered, then turn up the heat and cook uncovered for two more minutes. I used a pie pan, since I didn’t have a round baking dish that the recipe calls for, and put the mushroom mixture down, then a layer of eggplant, sauce, the mushroom mixture again, more eggplant, then covered with sauce. Popped it into the oven and gave it an hour at 375 degrees.

When it came out I had to use all of my will-power to omit the parmesan yet again. When I first started gravitating to a non-dairy diet, I found that I barely noticed the difference of meals without cheese…except with Italian food. But how will I know how it is unless I try it, right?

When my eggplant came out it was the yummiest thing I have every baked in my life. And with maybe 15 minutes of prep and then the hour of baking which gave me time to clean up the kitchen, it was like someone else was making it for me! I highly recommend trying this dish with or without the cheese! It’s only 3.2 grams of saturated fat with the cheese, which is only 1/5 of your recommended daily intake (20 grams).

Overall, I was really happy with my dish! It was still very Italian, and healthy! My two favorite things! If you try it, let me know how it goes! Or if you have another dish that you’ve lightened up, this is the place to share it:)

Before this bad boy went into the oven…

And after…oh my goodness yummy!

Here’s the recipe from Cooking Light:

Ingredients

1 peeled eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided
2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided (omitted here)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (omitted here)

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through mushrooms). Cover and cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; uncover and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
Spread half of mushroom mixture in bottom of a 1 1/2-quart round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant slices over mushroom mixture; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Top with 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Spread remaining mushroom mixture over mozzarella; top with remaining eggplant slices. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon pepper; top with remaining tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 375° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.

In my recent two posts about happiness (Part I & Park II), I discussed an old concept but one that gets overlooked in our modern American culture: that happiness is not merely the experience of positive feelings or an absence of negative feelings. Think about it; people chase happiness. What is happiness? How do we know if the happiness we’ve found is something that we can trust? Or, what if we don’t feel happy? Are we wasting our life? How about looking at the health outcomes of the decisions you are making? How about examining the motivation and intent driving your actions? These may be a useful measures. Is it truly good for you? Are you living a life that has merit that transcends immediate gratification? What’s worth more, positive affect or well-being? I choose the latter.

I mentioned Socrates in my previous post, and now I will refer to Aristotle; Aristotle reasoned that those who live an eudaimonic life (his definition of the good life consisting of moderation, self-actualization, and reflective action) have the most overall well-being and are also the most likely to find true happiness.

I think if we take a step back anytime we want to feel happy, we could ask ourselves how our pursuit of happiness is going to contribute to our journey toward wellness or healthy functioning. Becoming a healthy, fully functioning individual can lead to happiness, but it does not guarantee it. Conversely, unhealthy, dysfunctional people can also experience lots of positive feelings.

Sometimes we don’t want what’s good for us. Sometimes we are not well nor do we want to be. Why? Theories abound, but one that has resonated deeply with me is called self determination theory (SDT). Richard Ryan (2011) is an avid proponent of this theory of motivation, and I’m going to draw on his work in my discussion here.

According to SDT, there are specific physical needs and psychological needs that must be met in order for a person to experience well-being. SDT suggests that people will thrive the most when they can experience autonomy, relatedness, and competence.

In this post, I will focus on autonomy.

Autonomy and Motivation

Here is Richard Ryan’s (2011) description of autonomy:

“Autonomy is particularly relevant to thriving…Autonomy is first and foremost a characteristic of actions. To the extent an action is autonomous it is characterized by feeling volitional or self-endorsed. When people are acting autonomously they are fully behind their own actions–they feel choiceful and integrated in behaving. Accordingly, not all intentional actions are autonomous. Many are motivated by external controls [pressure from other people, social norms, putting others above yourself].”

Ryan goes on to describe varying types of motivations, stating that some extrinsic motivations are still tied to our deepest values and commitments (even though you don’t feel like doing something, you still do it because it is tied to a deeper value). Some extrinsic motivations, however, are completely external and stem from other people (the perception that someone else is making you do something).

Intrinsic motivation is an awesome force.

“When intrinsically motivated, people engage their environments out of interest and for the sheer enjoyment and challenge in acting. This interested engagement is accompanied by an experience of volition, because intrinsically motivated people are acting with full willingness. Intrinsic motivation is supported by meaningful choice…”

Extrinsic motivation refers to doing an activity to obtain an outcome separate from the behavior itself.

But just because you are not entirely intrinsically motivated doesn’t mean you can’t be somewhat autonomous and volitional in your behaviors. Even if you are looking for external rewards, you can work to link the behaviors you are doing to a deeper value that IS part of your core identity.

There is a folk singer, Patrick Park, that I saw play the other night, and he sang a song with some lyrics that I think are relevant here:

“I’ve been stuck in my ways
I’ve been rollin through days
Always afraid that things might get better
I’ve been traveling down this road liven free I suppose
All the while feelin tired and tethered.”

I think these lyrics have several layers of truth in them. We get stuck repeating certain behaviors (or not engaging in certain behaviors) because we just don’t examine our own motivation, our own attitudes that are driving our actions. We go through life feeling like the actions we “should” or “have to do” are consuming our life. But really, is that true?

If you take a step back, you might see a lining of choice in your life that you aren’t seeing because you take it for granted. If you are working a job that you don’t like, why do you do it? Is it because you have to? Or, is it because you are making that choice because the outcomes are better than if you just quit. Sure, you might think that quitting isn’t an option, but those mental limitations are all there for reasons. You need to make money. You don’t want to go bankrupt. Okay. You may laugh at the level of “necessity” to which I am breaking these choices down, but really, you are making choices. Likewise, with relationships. Are you feeling “tired and tethered?” You’re there, in that relationship. Why? Again, another category: food choices, exercise habits. You’re making decisions.

I’m not saying that there aren’t legitimate reasons that we make the decisions that we do; there is often “not enough time,” “it’s better for the kids” or “I have to pay the bills.” But rewind and replay the arrival to that conclusion in slow motion and you will find that there are beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge all contributing to the conclusion and then the behavior.

Now, of course, I am discussing our response to life. I am not saying that people always find themselves in their present circumstances because they chose it. We do not control external circumstances (i.e., others’ behaviors, sickness, tragedy, time, chance, etc.). I am suggesting, however, that we always have a choice in how we approach a situation. We get to choose how we will respond, what we will believe, what thoughts we endorse and hold onto, and what attitudes we will embrace.

And these predisposing factors (beliefs, attitudes, knowledge) determine what we do.

Living a volitional life will give you much more satisfaction than living with sense of detached obligation, mindless activity, or a fatalistic attitude. We can endorse our behaviors and still make the choices in the best interest of overall well-being, even if we don’t 100% feel like it. We can tap into a deeper commitment, a deeper value, and by reflecting on this—we can mindfully shift our feelings of motivation from drudgery to deliberate, self-endorsed action.

Well according to a professor at Stanford, who teaches about the Mind-Body connection, “the failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!” He says that the relationships that we share with women actually, physiologically, “creates more Seratonin- a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being.” I believe that I laugh harder, and am less self-conscious around my best friends. But does that mean that I’m less healthy because I don’t see them that often? Apparently it does. So why do I do it?

This article goes on to say that when we are “hanging” with our friends we have a tendency to feel we should be doing something more productive. But that the time spent with our lady friends is actually what builds us up, emotionally to have the strength to conquer our personal goals! The feeling of nurturing and understanding that I’ve always felt around my women friends has always been the caveat to create dinners, and weekend getaways. But rarely have I looked at it as a form of emotional exercise.

When I think about the women I know, some who come and go in my life, and some who are always there, I have this overwhelming sense that I want to make more of an effort. Not just because according to this article it is a healthy choice, but because I feel so good when I’m with them. If we eliminated the guilt and the feeling that we could be spending our time more efficiently, imagine how much BETTER that time could be!!

There was a time in my life when I didn’t have too many girlfriends. I can honestly say that there’s been times when I’ve been lonely, in the wrong relationship, pursuing the wrong career, and feeling sorry for myself all the while. When I think about the strength it took me to get out of those situations, and that friends “came” with that strength, I think there has to be a connection. When you are being true to yourself, and opening yourself up to the opportunity to grow in the most honest way, it allows others to truly see you. In your most complimentary light.

So what are you waiting for? Schedule a girls night! Schedule them for once a week! You wouldn’t skip a workout that you knew would torch calories and make you giddy afterwards, would you? And if you don’t have those friends, then start mixing up your routine! Take an invitation to spend time with someone that you usually turn down. You may find your soul-sisters. You may find yourself…HAPPY.