Category: Trauma Recovery

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Natural Empath

As a natural born empath, I feel “all the things.” Your things… my things… this world’s things.

I wake up… I meditate… I run and sometimes the sh!&storm in my head still pounds on the door of fear and failure, ever so deceitfully trying to slide its way in unnoticed.

Today I invite you to sit where you are and travel to a home within yourself. Bring what hurts, bring your scars and the load that you carry.

Invite in all the raw, vulnerable, scary parts about yourself that you think define your self worth.

Let them stay as they need to. Let them stay until you can feel that the love you give, the health you fight for, and the purpose that drives you… is not wasted time, but an investment.

Get out of your own way today. Stop doubting yourself. Stop halting the battle of your bravery.

Stop not being okay with who you are. Tuck yourself in to a space of love and acceptance. And when you get there, fight like hell to stay.

Onward…

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Spiritual Muscles

Spiritual muscles today. Not trying to let in anything that doesn’t serve me. Not trying to let anxieties of the past or future infiltrate in as they often do.

Not trying to be anything today but grateful with a deep presence and appreciation for that which is right now, in this moment.

My feet glide today. My iPod plays songs that resonate both survival and strength. The sun warms my skin and I am reminded of all of the wonderful things that summer brings.

What you are not choosing, you are allowing. I needed this shift today to be more awakened. To be reminded that my deep spiritual needs are the foundation of strength that holds this body together. To let go of what doesn’t matter, and fight for what does.

That. Is. All. 👊🏻

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Weeds or Wishes

The dandelion does not stop growing because some people think they’re pointless and bothersome.

Each day the world seems to become more lost in challenges, comparisons, corrupt practices, and societal stigmas. These leave us feeling broken… defeated… empty and lost.

Goals are wonderful. Hard work and perseverance, necessary… but so is keeping the simple magic and wonder of life alive.

We set ourselves up to fail. We listen to people who are not even qualified to dictate or implant an idea of what we must accomplish for mental toughness, or weight loss, or self healing.

We then wonder why if we missed a workout, took a bite of cake, or did not see results overnight, these things made us feel even worse. Right?

Your blueprint is unique. Your dreams…your wants… your desires are meant for you.

Routines are good, but so is spontaneity. Good habits are fantastic, but so is balance.

Stop the pre-recorded message in your head that says you messed up today so your efforts are meaningless.

Peace, joy, comfort, happiness, contentment, steadfast acceptance of yourself comes from your Creator and your willingness to believe in better days and better outcomes… otherwise known as Hope.

You may see a weed… I see a wish. Make one.

~ from the diary of what running and life have taught me ~


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Life is My Teacher.

The older I get and the more time that passes… life continues to train and teach me.

It’s not always grandiose nor measured in lavish material “stuff”. It’s not what I can gain from you but what I can give.

As I move through my years… self reflection gets easier, not harder. I seek simplicity. I love my routines. I worry less about things I cannot control, and allow room for acceptance.

I am so grateful those who remain true and journey with me for light and strength… and have learned from those who pit stop in for their own benefit.

Today I ask myself… do my efforts match my words? Do my victories triumph over my defeats, and will I forever live to make a difference? The answer is yes.

Find a few good people… find a good routine… and find yourself back home to in wellness that’s waiting for you.

Run (or Walk!) With Us on the Path to Self-Betterment.

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Do the Thing.

She vowed to be better than what almost broke her. She dares to motivate herself, even when the stands are empty and the crowds have disappeared.

She chooses betterment instead of bitterness, and documents those moments when tangible results are upon her.

Whiskey and wine tried to kill her… processed crap and toxic food tried to comfort her… and self loathing hijacked her every thought.

Educate yourself on what you put in your body. Think less about what people think of you, and more about inner growth, and finding joy.

When they tell you “it’s not possible.” Tell them I sent you. God’s plan for me was greater than I ever could have imagined. Do the thing. THAT. IS. ALL.

Find a few good people… find a good routine… and find yourself back home to in wellness that’s waiting for you.

Run With Our Pack!

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Finding Your Freedom.

Joy is subjective. How we reach it and what we choose to do with it when it lands in our arms is based on our beliefs and experiences.

This route I’m on tonight is a road I have walked and run countless times… the bends… the cracks and splits in the pavement… the familiar landscapes, and trees… the same fallen down fence, and tiny creek that has displayed both softness and fierceness, takes me through the pages of my personal story.

I have taken this road through many roadblocks, setbacks, and milestones. I have walked this road through tear-stained eyes of “just another” attempt at sobriety and healthy living.

I have prayed incessantly on this road for new beginnings and purpose. I have revealed my deepest secrets and regrets here, and have found overwhelming contentment is my success and healing.

Tonight, as I look to all the sights and sounds that have embraced all my metamorphoses… I am simply thankful that I get to tell my tale.

I get to give back and spread hope… and most of all, that my joy was not in front of me or behind me… it wasn’t beside me or gone from me… it was there all along… inside of me.

Scream your story from the rooftop… someway… somehow… someone needs to hear it. Amen.

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High Hopes.

She is somewhere between where she was and where is going. She doesn’t dwell or stay in the past, but she visits occasionally to be reminded of all she has overcome.

She visits occasionally to allow her demons and villains to see they no longer control her, and that their voice is no longer audible.

Crappy food, drained bottles of booze, low-budget thoughts, and self-doubt are now replaced with high hopes… mixed with healthy nourishment for the mind, body, and soul.

She reflects this morning not only on all that life has taken from her… but more importantly how much it has given her.

Transformation comes in many forms… physical, mental, spiritual, and with a rebirth of gratitude and healing.

Most of all… life has been good to me.

Lace, tie, run, repeat… I’m a lucky girl 💜.

Ladies… Say YES to Fit and Fabulous in Your Forties and Fifties.

Suzanne and Dina have a Magnificent at Midlife Challenge coming to you soon! Learn more and sign up for updates on the challenge here.

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Take Charge of Your Health.

Every time you spend money 💰. You are casting a vote on the kind of health and wellness you want for yourself.

Every morning you have a chance to start over and become more joyful.

To sustain well-being, you must have resilience… to have resilience you must practice discipline… to practice discipline you must believe in something greater.

Words are empty without action. Action is strength… and strength requires zero compromise.

You want the right time? Now is it.

Go get it. 👊🏻

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Yes, I Can.

June 16, 2017. She awoke with a pounding head… the kind of headache that was all-too familiar. Her mouth was dry, she was damp with sweat both from the booze and toxic food she put in body the night before trying to break their way out. Her tear-stained pillow was just another reminder of her shame.

She had screamed for help… only for her cries to be intercepted by lies, and defeat… shame and unrest.

The light in her bedroom was blinding. She could see the day was one of sun and glorious skies. She couldn’t move… frozen in time for what seemed like eternity, she turned her head to see them.

They were beautiful, full of color and hope. They were begging her, “Please just give us another chance. We won’t judge you, we’ll be patient, and we will show you… what you were meant to become.”

She hesitated… she wiped the last tear that drained. She dragged herself to the corner to where those sneakers would not stop staring at her.

“Tie the laces… get your hungover ass up, and go make a difference.”

I remember that day like it was yesterday.

I don’t know where you are today in your personal journey or transformations. I don’t know what you have been through, what you have hid in shame, sat with in regret… or begged for freedom of… BUT I DO KNOW THIS ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Whoever said you’re stuck is wrong. Whatever is holding you back can be broken apart and rebuilt.

And whenever you hear somebody say “No, you can’t…” the answer is always “YES, I CAN.” 👊🏻🖤

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Welcome Home.

Are you ready to shift? How many of us are stuck in what seems like a timeline of never-ending quicksand? Toleration of ideas or thoughts that make us uncomfortable, that spark uncertainty, and allow for dragging of our being… both physically and mentally.

To welcome ourselves home does not mean to give up and just let life “happen to us.” We are the builders and the architects… but more importantly, we are the occupants of our mind, body, and soul.

We must stop looking outward and elsewhere for approval. We must realize that our gifts and talents are unique to us, and we each have a different vessel and source of travel to get where we dream of going.

I was overthinking way too much lately. Letting magazines, commercials, and others’ opinions infiltrate and try to buckle my foundation.

I had to pause, and breathe, and remember that I do not have to stay stuck. I can shift and move onward to being a better athlete, runner, wife, friend, and “all the things” that I cannot wait to accomplish.

Your structure, the way your house is built… is wonderfully designed for you.

You are enough, you have a gift… go find it and share it.