Have you ever heard the saying, “Begin with the end in mind”? I’d like to amend that to include, “End with the beginning in mind” as well. How often do we get hung up in where we want to be rather than having appreciation for how far we’ve come?
One thing I’m grateful for is that I’ve always kept a lot of records of my goals and dreams- journals, vision boards (turned into vision books haha), workout trackers, business goal lists, and more. When I look back in my journal to even a few months ago at the things I was trying to work on then- everything from my mindset to beliefs to what I was trying to surrender and forgive- I’m amazed at how far I’ve come. Of course, I have lots of new things to work on but I’m at a deeper, more fulfilling, exciting layer (as we all are as we move through this crazy life)! I was reminded today but my upline coaches of some income goals they had set a few years ago and it had caused me to glance back at my 2013 vision book. I had set a goal then of making HALF of what I made through my engineering job as a coach with Beachbody (because I knew that would pay my bills and allow me to do what I love if I ever lost my engineering job, which I did). Now, just 2 years later, I make DOUBLE what I did at my engineering job- all just by putting a LOT of effort into helping people and following my heart step by step!
Sometimes when we feel far away from where we want to be, we need only to look back and see how far we’ve come to be reminded of how INCREDIBLE we are!! Don’t forget that!! If you are having trouble believing in yourself right now, just remember that I BELIEVE IN YOU and I’m ROOTING for you!!!! But also take a second to look back at your “beginning” and appreciate your roots and how far you have come, the progress you have made, and who you ARE now because of it!! I am proud of you!!!
Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located in the Coach Online Office for the most recent information on our Coaches’ actual incomes. The Statement of Independent Coach Earnings can be found at http://www.beachbodycoach.com/uploads/fckeditor/mdbody/File/downloads/statement_of_independent_coach_earnings.pdf
Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
I love Teal and I had SOOOO many specific takeaways from this particular blog post (link at the bottom) but the overriding theme is how much pain we cause ourselves by thinking things "should" or "need to be" a certain way. She uses the example of life after divorce and the impact on kids to show the difference between a state of ego and cultural conditioning dictating our behavior and attitudes versus being open to a state of cooperation.
I rebel against so many of the societal dictations of how we "should feel" because of the fear state and guilt and constriction it induces. It also blocks us from the perspective of being able to see the greater love-based picture that would ultimately lead to more cooperation and happiness for all those involved. Who cares if it's not the traditional outlook? From my perspective, there's a lot about the traditional outlook that isn't working- people feel stuck in miserable jobs, sub-par or loveless relationships, or generally feel unfulfilled to the point where they know in their gut that there has to be more. When that voice asks us, "isn't there something MORE to life?" we have to be WILLING to temporarily disallow what we've been trained into and open our eyes to other possibilities that are more aligned with our heart's true desires, however crazy they may seem to our cultrurally conditioned mind. We all have areas where we hold ourselves back. There is nothing wrong about this, we are all on our own journeys. But I absolutely BELIEVE we can evolve into a much more love-aligned world of cooperation rather than fear-based defensive protection of the self. We just have to take the initial steps of being BRAVE!!!! It can happen! We are already moving this way!! I can FEEL it!! And I have no doubt that if you pay careful attention, you can too :)
It’s so interesting/synchronistic how something that I learned in the talk I went to this morning with John Henne (of Henne Jewelers in Pittsburgh) completely and directly applied to our Beachbody regional meeting later in the day and REALLY affected my mindset in a positive way (and I think he gave a great message for ANYONE regardless of what your business/career is so please, read on)...
Beachbody events are always jam packed with awesomeness, however it’s not always sunshine and rainbows behind the scenes. It’s an incredible business but it is TOUGH mentally to maintain belief in yourself during the inevitable disappointments and slow phases that come with any business. With as rapidly as the health and fitness industry is growing, it’s HARD not to get caught up in the lack mentality that leads to comparing our success against the seeming progress of others. And a prime time that this comes up is during recognition at events like this. If you’d have told 3-years-ago me that I’d be where I am today, I’d be absolutely thrilled. Looking back, I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made, not just in my business, but in my life! But like any business (and life in general), there are always more levels, more milestones that we can achieve, and more things that we feel we could be or “should be” doing/accomplishing.
Fortunately, I was at a Learning to Lead event this morning (an organization by Doug and Laura Smith that brings in high-character and successful business leaders from around the area to speak on what they believe are the key components to their success and fulfillment) and today they brought in John Henne. I asked John this morning for his tips on how he overcomes the temptation to fall into lack mentality and comparison mode. His answer was one of my biggest take-aways of his talk. He said, “I realized that I don’t need to be the biggest to be the best at what I do.” In his talk, it was SO EVIDENT how much he values and exemplifies QUALITY work and true and sincere care for his customers. He spoke repeatedly about the importance of focusing on giving rather than worrying about what you’re trying to get out of it, and in doing so, you actually get far more than you ever could have imagined. One of the things that I thought was so neat about their business and attitude is how much they care about the marriage of their customers as opposed to it just an engagement ring sale- they even give their customers a book, “Things I Wish I Knew Before Marriage,” by Gary Chapman. It was such an important reminder of the little ways we can go above and beyond to show business clients (as well as the important people in our lives!) that we care. It reminded me how important it is to keep the big picture and the true PURPOSE of my business in mind and look for extra ways in which I can SERVE. The legacy comes in what we are able to GIVE BACK. He also emphasized the importance of being happy with who you are and reminded us that if you are not happy with who you are, you will never be a good employee. He said, “it’s not about the job it’s the attitude you bring to job.”
So how did this apply to the rest of my day? I was reminded that even if I haven’t reached an arbitrary milestone in my business, even if I’m not as far along as other coaches who have been in the business for less time than I have, or even if I’m not yet as far along as I plan to go does not mean I am not still the best at this business. I am the best in my own way if I am giving with sincerity, if I am showing care for others, if I am happy with who I am, and if I am pouring words of encouragement into others. We can ALL be the best in that way. THOSE are the things that create our legacy. THAT is what people will remember long after we’re gone. And all of those things are completely independent of any kind of arbitrary accomplishment or society-defined “success”. So whatever it is you do, stop worrying about being the biggest or the farthest along and start focusing on GIVING and being of SERVICE and THAT is what will make you the best!!
John, thank you again for speaking with us today! I hope I did your incredible message justice!!
I have to say that Beachbody On Demand (BOD) is ON POINT with content. I apologize in advance for the low quality pictures but I’ve had a LOT of people asking me recently for this info and how they can get a free trial so I thought it was more important to just get something up quickly rather than worrying about perfecting this blog post :) Plus the content is growing regularly (feels like daily!) so it’s hard to keep up!! :)
Full workout programs:
In the picture below, you can see all of the workout programs that are available IN FULL (and there are WAY MORE than just what's pictured)! P90X3, ChaLEAN Extreme, Turbo Fire, Insanity, and Brazil Butt Lift are some of my favorites!! If you’d like to hear more about any of these programs from my own personal perspective (like why I’m OBSESSED with ChaLEAN Extreme and how it changed my body!!), you can go to my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/kate37721 and scroll down to the “Product reviews, tips” section (here’s a direct link to this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXiky4MOw2FiVHDk0bsMFDQHIQezD2SuN).
The newer programs (like Shift Shop, Hammer and Chisel, 22 Minute Hard Corps, Core De Force, Cize, Piyo, Insanity Max:30, and 21 Day Fix) are all also available in FULL! And guess what? Everything that Beachbody has EVER come out with is available on Beachbody On Demand! In addition, any program that Beachbody will be releasing will automatically become available to you on Beachbody On Demand once it's released! ANDDDD... There are things available on Beachbody On Demand that aren't available anywhere else!
BOD exclusives:
When there is a new program being released, you get automatic first access to it!
There are also workouts on BOD that will not be available to the public if you don’t have BOD. Several of the trainers have bonus workouts available on BOD. Autumn has several total body toning workouts that I LOVE using when I’m short on time (for example 14-minute full-body stability ball routine and 7-minute total resistance workout). I can always make time for that :)
Another program that I KNOW new moms or moms-to-be are going to be excited about is Active Maternity with Autumn Calabrese, creator of 21 Day Fix.
Master trainer workouts:
I want to feature a cool archive that includes all the live master trainer workouts that have been featured on the Challenge Du Jour (the daily free workout on BOD). The day I was writing this post, I needed something fun to inspire me to workout so I went into the archives to do a Turbo Fire master trainer workout and channel all my turbo friends (Lisa, Erica D, Evonne, Erica L-B, and Jamie- I was thinking of you girls)!! All the workouts in the archives are 30 minutes and great if you need some extra variety like me! I’m SO happy about this archive!!! :)
Not Just Fitness!! There are TONS of other resources for how to live a healthy lifestyle on Beachbody On Demand. Each workout program comes with a nutrition guide and recipe books. I have to say that Beachbody recipes are some of the BEST recipes I've ever tried (bonus- they are all HEALTHY)! This is pretty much all I ever cook from anymore!!! Another AMAZING resource is Autumn Calabrese's FIXate Cooking Show! There are over 120 cooking demos and recipe videos (more being added weekly!) where she shows you EXACTLY how to make tons of meals and snacks that are ALL 21-day-fix APPROVED!!!
Beachbody On Demand has your health covered- from amazing workouts to AWESOME recipes to help your nutrition as well!!! If you want to see a brief tour of Beachbody On Demand, you can flip through to the 3:15 minute mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYwDxDLV_PI
How to sign up for a free 30 day trial:
Ok, now here is the FUN part! You can sign up and try 14 days for FREE so you can explore all these goodies yourself! Easiest way to do it is to go through this link:
Select the 3 month option if you want the free trial. If you don’t know me personally and don’t trust the links on a random person’s blog (I totally understand!), you can go tohttps://www.beachbodyondemand.com/ --> "sign up" then if you'd like to have me as your coach, say "yes I was referred by a Beachbody Coach" (otherwise you'll be assigned a random coach) and enter my coach ID (183908)- I would LOVE to help you on your journey. Helping people work through any fears/blocks/stress they have and building a healthier lifestyle and mindset is an absolute passion of mine!!
You do have to put in your payment info to sign up but you will not be charged until day 14. So to get the free trial, you just cancel before you hit the end of your free trial period (don’t be scared, it’s really easy to cancel if you don’t want to continue with it). Or, if you love it, you can just continue on with it! Totally worth it, in my opinion. Like I said, new stuff being added regularly!! :) Let me know if you have any questions!!
Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
This is going to sound certifiably insane but I liked the message so I don't care. I dream really vividly and often hear names or messages repeated in my dream. Then it's just a matter of whether or not I can remember it clearly enough to translate it when I wake up- I start to lose it as soon as I start writing it down. But this one I heard over and over so it was pretty easy to piece together. This one felt like poetry :) Sooooo, crazy or not, enjoy the message for today!
There is magical place where the dreams of your soul lay waiting patiently, dormant, until they are ready to be unleashed to the world. Meanwhile your heart whispers, "you are ready." Have the courage to become who you were meant to be, for it only takes revealing who you already ARE.
This has been a BIG message for me lately and one that’s been coming up a lot with my coaches and clients.
I've learned over the past few years that there is a clear distinction for me between times when I feel "in the flow" and times when I don't. I've also learned that life *in the flow* is WAY better and fun and free. When I'm in the flow, I feel connected to my purpose and my higher self, I feel grateful that I get to serve, I feel energized and excited, and I feel like majority of my energy and intention is connected to a greater purpose.
The good news is that I've been able to identify the little shifts that can get me back in the flow at times when I'm not feeling it so much. When it comes to my health and energy, adding some extra greens and doing SOMETHING everyday to move my body is all it takes to start to get me back in the flow. When there is stress I'm dealing with, even 5 minutes a day of journaling my thoughts can help me shift. I detailed more of these tips during a huge phase of overwhelm during the holidays last year: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2014/12/holiday-stress-and-overwhelm.html. When it comes to my Beachbody business, I know if I'm running challenge groups and helping people regularly in terms of dealing with any stress or struggles they may be facing and helping them make baby steps to get them back on the right track, I feel REALLY good no matter what else is going on in my business. In terms of my general life purpose, if I'm writing and creating content that feels like it may be helping even just one person out there, then that makes me happy. In terms of relationships, if I'm surrounding myself with people that lift me up and challenge me in expansive ways and raise my energy, we're good there. I make sure I have business and accountability partners for support to help keep me on track! For example, this summer I partnered up with my friend, Meredith, who is also in the wellness industry. We meet once a week for *inspire sessions* to help each other brainstorm for future goals. I am super grateful for her partnership and ideas and working relationship!
I also recently wrote about making peace with ourselves and the things we deal with regularly, including our exercise and work. It’s hard to be in the flow if we’re letting things like this overwhelm or frustrate us! Turning “should dos” into “get to dos” makes a big difference in getting back into the flow! I describe some easy shifts to do this here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/world-peace-day-make-peace-with.html.
It's been a BUSY couple of weeks but I have never felt better! It's one of those days where I'm truly feeling like the sky is the limit! And the ceiling at the Beehive is matching my attitude ;)
So I'm curious- how much attention do you pay to those times where you feel in the flow? Is it something you consciously have to pay attention to and work towards? What things set your soul on fire and make you feel most in the flow??
For me, when I walk into a party and food is EVERYWHERE, that is the toughest situation for me. I easily get caught up in picking at things and going back and forth between salty and sweet (I can literally FEEL dopamine and other brain chemicals kicking in)! It's REALLY tough to maintain will power if the food is going to be out for an extended period of time. These are what I call "high risk situations". I still haven't mastered them but I have learned some tricks that have helped me in these situations:
1. Bring something healthy to the party (at least you know you'll have one healthy option!)
2. Sip on some coffee or tea- it keeps your mouth occupied
3. If I know I have a party like this coming up, I make SURE to do as much as I can around it to stay on track. I eat EXTRA healthy a few days leading up to it, I get my workout in that day so I go into it feeling good, and I have a plan in place to make sure I eat well in the days following (stocked up on healthy food, healthy meals already prepared, schedule a yoga class or other workout meet-up with a friend for the day after)
4. I use my client accountability groups (on facebook) to encourage me and help me devise a plan! Knowing I have to report back to them keeps me on track!
5. I find an accountability partner- preferably someone AT the party, but it also works to have someone on hand that I can text (I've even posted in my facebook groups FROM the party to ask for extra encouragement).
6. Wait as long as possible to eat. The later you start, the more will already be eaten and the less time overall you'll have to maintain your good decisions. Try eating something healthy before the party to keep you full and satisfied for as long as possible before digging in
7. I remind myself that I don't need to try EVERYTHING. Find the indulgences that look the most "worth it". There's nothing worse than eating junk and realizing it wasn't even that good. And by all means, throw away anything you take that ends up not being "worth it"! We don't need to go for clean plate club here.
8. Position myself as far away as possible from the food (preferably in another room)
9. Instead of focusing on what I'm missing out on, I focus on the good, non-food aspects of the party! Here's a perfect chance to get to know your friends and family on a deeper level! When was the last time you asked a relative what were some of their biggest lessons they've learned in life? When was the last time you got down on the floor to be in awe of a cardboard box with your little niece? I had a FANTASTIC business discussion with my mom's cousin's husband at our family reunion recently. Sometimes when you're around people from the time you're little, you forget that they have other interests and skills outside of the family. We both learned a lot from each other and it kept me engaged and not thinking about food the whole time we were talking!
10. Good or bad, don't beat yourself up for anything that happened haha. Guilt will only add to the stress that can trigger us to continue on an unhealthy track. Tomorrow is a fresh start. Get back on the wagon!
Yesterday was World Peace Day and it got me thinking about how we could apply this also to our health and well-being. The question from the official video (link at bottom of blog), “who will you make peace with?” triggered the immediate intuitive response inside of me saying, “ourselves.” How much of our day to day conflict is self-imposed? What can we do right in the here-and-now to create more peace in the world by making our OWN energy more peaceful? Here were some thoughts that came to mind:
The scale. That number has the power to elicit an emotional response in us. Why not try this week to make peace with whatever number shows up, reminding yourself that that number also contains the weight of your heart pumping your blood; the lungs breathing the oxygen you are currently inhaling; the weight of your eyes that allow you to see your child or a flower or a beautiful sunset; the weight of your arms that can embrace someone you love; the weight of your hands able to grasp another in a sign of respect, high-five a friend, or create beautiful works of art.
Food. So often we associate food with guilt or deprivation but it is something to be cherished for the nutrients it provides our body! This week, practice mindfulness with your food. There is a type of zen that comes with eating leafy greens or a juicy piece of fresh fruit :)
Workouts. This is not punishment. This is training your body to be more efficient and getting you to a healthier state! This is a chance to appreciate moving your body and all that it can do! Your body is in it’s highest glory when it is moving joyfully!!
Our bodies. How much are you appreciating your body and truly loving yourself? I wrote a blog on this recently to explain how much of a critical role this plays in our journey and progress:
Work. Make peace with looking at how we get to SERVE. If you’re someone who desires to help people, you can do this no matter what your job is. Here are some ways I have trained myself to APPRECIATE what I GET to do rather than viewing it as a “should do” or a “have to do” dreaded obligation (this applies to workouts too):
Other people. Sometimes this may be an apology or a conversation to work things out. Sometimes this may be setting boundaries or expectations. Sometimes it may be letting go of relationships that no longer serve us or being more intentional with who we spend our time around. It can also be making peace with other people in our own soul. If the other person is not ready or willing, a conversation or resolution may not be possible. But hanging on to resentment, uneasiness, unforgiveness, guilt, hard feelings, or general bad vibes does not serve us. It causes stress and reinforcement of the negative patterns and contributes to the overall negativity in the world. Working on forgiving the other person and ourselves for any wrongdoing, having compassion for how the other person might be feeling, recognizing that we don’t know their full story or what pain and fear might have been driving them to act the way they did, recognizing that any wrongdoing to us has nothing to do with us and everything to do with their pain, accepting and forgiving ourselves for any hurt we may have caused and learning from it moving forward, mentally releasing toxic energy, and sending love and blessings to that person can literally CHANGE YOUR LIFE!! We cannot control other people, but we do have power over our own thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions as well as the energy that surrounds the situation. Instead of feeding the situation onward with negative energy, let it resolve with your own peace and love about it. Say a prayer of gratitude for any tough situations like this, recognizing that even seemingly unwanted situations like this are all for our greater good, growth, and expansion.
Our time. Let’s make peace with time knowing we only have so much time in a day and be gentle with ourselves, doing what we can, surrendering to the universe what we can’t. Let’s ease our minds with the mantra: time expands, life is long.
Our life. This has a LOT to do with what I described in the video above: accepting what is and recognizing that the “wanted” stuff and the “unwanted” is all working for our greater good.
Not to mention, we have a TON of things in our lives to be grateful for! No matter how bad things might be right now, I know you have at least SOME things to be grateful for! For example, right now, I know you have fresh air to breath, you woke up this morning, you have electricity and internet access, and you have at least one person who cares about you and your happiness and is rooting for you (me!). Start with those little things if that’s all you can muster! And build up to the AMAZING things that completely surround us with beauty and wonder in this world!!
Ourselves. What are you not forgiving yourself for? What resistance could you let go of? In what ways could you be a little more gentle with yourself? In what ways could you be a little more accepting of yourself, flaws and all? In what ways could you take a little more of a chance on yourself? We can at times be our own worst enemy and critic. Make the world a little more peaceful by starting with yourself!! In doing this, you also give others permission to the same!! How can you be a little more authentically YOU today??
Got this message from a client-turned-coach, a wonderful mom and role model, an amazing friend, and an absolute inspiration. I'm sitting here tearing up in a "this is why I do what I do" moment. She first texted me to tell me how excited she was about a new dress she fit into and how great she physically feels (which I am incredibly happy about), but then this message... wow... really got me. I am completely humbled. Completely touched. And completely grateful for all of my hardest experiences in life, for those were the situations that taught me what I am now able to pass on to others. But I've had teachers too. They have come in the form of good friends and family support and incredible parents. They have come in the form of heartbreak. They have come in the form of authors whose books I dove into in times of on-the-floor-in-a-ball-hysterical-crying desperation. They have come in the form of people who on the surface we don't see eye to eye, who have been challenges in my life and I in theirs, but deep down share the same essence and the same oneness. They have come in the form of soul sisters and people who I consider in my "spiritual tribe". They have come in the form of seemingly miraculous coincidences revealed to be divinely orchestrated destiny. They have come in the form of clients and of course has come in the form of the same person who wrote this message to me.
Think of the kind of world this could be if we could recognize clearly how similar we all are... If we could have compassion for the struggles we all are going through... If we could all be reassured with true faith that the work we are doing through the challenges is worth it... If we could all cooperate and strengthen each other and lift each other up, knowing that we live in a universe of abundance and there is enough for all if we are just willing to share and see... If we could recognize that even the toughest of situations are a benefit to us, aiding in our learning, growth, and expansion... If we could use those lessons to help each other... If we all could lend a few more helping hands knowing that there will always be hands there to help us. That IS the world we live in. We need only awaken and SEE it.
Today, lend a few more helping hands. We are all each other's teachers.
There is always room for improvement, but I have to say I am proud of the point I’m at in my own growth. Instead of being impulsive and reactionary in tough situations, I can handle them with peace and grace. I mean this relatively because I am far from perfect in this regard, but I can FEEL my own progress. And that feels good :)
One practice that has helped me develop this and keep the big picture in mind when handling, processing, or reacting to any tough/sad/disappointing/frustrating situation is to be grateful for the tough stuff that comes along. It instantly pulls me out of fear and reminds me that these labels (“tough,” “sad,” “disappointing,” “frustrating,” “bad,” etc) are only the meaning I’m giving to it by thinking the situation *should* have unfolded in a different way. When I can pull myself out of the emotion of it and into observer mode through this gratitude practice, I am able to remember that EVERYTHING is happening for my greater good and expansion. If it’s happening, it’s because on a soul level, I needed it to happen.
While it is often initially difficult to utter the words, “Thank you for [insert difficult situation/person/outcome],” the resistance seems to fade almost immediately once the full thought is expressed and given a voice and it is replaced with a peace and awareness and understanding and calmness once the bigger picture is allowed to come into sight. I sometimes can even start to feel the tingly excitement of my energy and vibration raising as I do this. I urge you to give it a try too!!
Here is a video where I explain more. I also included some pictures below of the lake I was at when I recorded this. They instantly make me feel peaceful :)
This may seem a little off subject from my normal posts, but I think relationships are ESSENTIAL to our growth and expansion. While surface level conversations are fine, I always feel like I get the most benefit out of a conversation where I really get to know the truth of who a person is. I often find that the more open and vulnerable I am willing to be, the more that is reciprocated. I try to be as open as I can with my clients about anything I am struggling with, what got me through tough times, and anything else I might be dealing with. I often find that the relationships that are built because of this mutual openness are some of the most fulfilling and supportive relationships I have. I end up learning just as much (or more!) from them as they do from me!
Where this can get tricky are situations that are assumed to be more professional upfront. I do think it is possible to get to know a person on a deeper level in ANY situation but I find that in certain settings, it's important to be more tactful about what we're asking and how.
A good starting point is to ask questions about life outside of work to find some common ground or interests to build upon. Here are some ideas for questions to ask to facilitate getting to know someone in a professional setting:
1. What is the most impactful lesson you have learned in your career thus far?
2. What is your favorite part of what you get to do (and why)?
3. What has been the most trying time in your career and what did you do to get through it?
4. What is the most important people skill or relationship building skill that you value most in the people you deal with in your work?
5. What do you think my biggest strengths are?
6. What do you think my biggest weaknesses are?
7. What are some of your biggest goals? What is your next step?
8. What brings the most fulfillment to your life?
And of course these questions can be modified to facilitate relationship building or deepening in non-professional settings as well. I'd love to hear ideas for further thoughts or probing questions!
As a follow-up to my post the other day about loving yourself to where you want to be rather than guilting/shaming/self-hating your way there (full post here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/love-yourself-to-where-you-want-to-be.html), I wanted to add some additional questions/ideas that will hopefully provoke some good thoughts and allow you to solidify for yourself why it is so important to try to be a little more self-loving. A HUGE thank you goes out to my friend, Evonne. A lot of these points came from an awesome conversation with her and I want to give her due credit.
She pointed out how often we link happiness to the weight we were at during a certain great period of life while completely neglecting that there were probably a whole bunch of other reasons that were much more the ACTUAL cause of our happiness! Wow, what a great point. There have been times when I was at the lower end of my normal weight range but my relationships, career, faith, etc were not aligned and I was completely miserable (another fantastic Evonne-ism, “Standing alone and thin is no fun”). Then there were other times when I was on the upper end of my weight range but life was stellar and I was living up every moment of it (see picture)! True freedom is learning how to love yourself and appreciate life and enjoy what you’ve got no matter what the external circumstances are!!
As Evonne so brilliantly put it, “I didn’t get thin and get happy, it was the other way around.” How true is that?? Often times they go hand in hand. As we eat better, the healthier food improves our mood (I also now NOTICEABLY recognize not-so-healthy food negatively effecting my mood). As we workout more, we feel stronger, we feel more vitality, and the endorphins boost our mood as well. We also typically feel more in alignment of what we WANT for our lives. But there are also other ways to lose weight in the short-term that don’t necessarily involve these healthy methods and certainly don’t produce these feel-good effects. More often than not, as we FEEL GOOD about ourselves, LOVE ourselves as I spoke of the other day, and find appreciation for what we have in the here and now, that is NATURALLY going to translate to our physical appearance. Think of the GLOW that radiates from someone who is really excited about life! In those states of flow, it is much easier for those healthier habits to fall into place rather than being stressed, frustrated with life, and putting pressure on ourselves to lose 5 pounds because we are unhappy with our lives and we think that will make us feel better. Truth is, it might. Temporarily. But it’s not going to fix the bigger issues that can ONLY come with a lot of internal work on ourselves and on our outlook on life. What we resist, persists. And whether that be resisting self-acceptance and self-love because we are 10 pounds heavier than where we want to be or resisting doing the TRUE work that we know we need to do on ourselves (internally- mentally, emotionally, spiritual), those circumstances will persist on. It’s only when we enter a state of acceptance do we release the blocks and pressure that have been holding us back and enter into a state of allowance. EVERYTHING happens more easily there because it happens from a place of love. It is the changes we make on the INSIDE that show up in our external world.
Finally, I would like to offer you a chance to take the next couple minutes to pause and meditate on how it would really FEEL to not care about your weight. Some of you may think that you would let yourself eat whatever you want and end up gaining weight. Well, that would be based on the assumption that it is only your pressure, guilt, and shame that will help you lose the weight you desire. I beg to differ. I have seen countless people attack weight loss with such pressure and rigidity that they end up quitting altogether. I have also seen people take the slow and steady route, allow themselves indulgences along the way, and still get to where they wanted to be. Think of how you would feel if the pressure was finally off. If you weren’t worried about how people would judge you. If you could solely base your decisions on your own happiness and love for yourself. Where would that lead you? ** Picture the difference in the energy if I locked you in room with a canvas, some paints, and a Da Vinci painting and told you that you had to recreate it PERFECTLY to the exact specifications. Now picture walking through a garden on a beautiful day and stumbling upon a blank canvas, a glorious selection of colorful paints, a variety of intriguing brushes, and flowers all around you for inspiration. Which situation do you think would create the better work? Take the pressure off. You are still YOU even without the weight pressure. You will still WANT to do what’s healthy for yourself… probably more so without the pressure of the results and instead a focus on what feels good and what is most loving for yourself. Sometimes that may be the salad, sometimes that may be a delicious cup of ice cream (which I promise will be way more satisfying when it isn’t followed by guilt and regret). It doesn’t matter. Live with love and let your heart guide you to your best. **Create a masterpiece today**
I’ve got an IMPORTANT message- this has been coming up A LOT lately.
**I cannot stress enough how important it is to LOVE yourself to where you want to be rather than self-hating/shaming/guilting yourself to where you want to be!** I can PROMISE you that the added stress and pressure and negative emotions that the latter thought process causes is counterproductive to your health and happiness. Loving yourself right where you are does not mean you are throwing in the towel on the healthy changes you want to make- what it DOES mean is that you constantly shower yourself with love and acceptance while still evaluating how you can be kinder to yourself and create healthier habits. The THOUGHT PROCESS must be healthy too in order for it to show up in the physical form! And isn’t it wonderful to know that there’s someone that will ALWAYS be there for you and ALWAYS have your back 100% and will ALWAYS love and accept you know matter what?? Yep, and that person is YOU!! While it’s WONDERFUL to have a loving support system, it is also IMPERATIVE to work on loving and accepting yourself exactly the way you are, right now, at this very minute. Take a moment to APPRECIATE all that your body is doing for you! No matter what you do to it or what you put into it, it is digesting, breathing, keeping your heart beating, moving your eyeballs right now as you read this, and YES, your body is your biggest cheerleader!! LOVE IT BACK!!
Admittedly, this has not been my best summer for healthy habits. Between my birthday, several trips, and normal summer busyness, I’ve indulged quite a bit. But just because I’m working towards getting stronger, improving my endurance, and feeling more health and vitality, does not mean I can’t appreciate this awesome life and self I have right in the here and now!! If you’re struggling with this, think of someone less fortunate than you in their health or life circumstances that would give anything to be where you are. If that helps, start by appreciating your self and your life and your body for them first THEN slowly, over time, move into loving you for your own sake!!
If you base your self-love on how you look or a number on the scale, then your happiness at any given point in time will always be dependent on whether you are or are not at that point. So make the decision NOW that you will love yourself and have your back no matter what!!! It is truly as simple as that… just DECIDE!!! Throw out your cares of what anyone else might think (because anyone who does not love you unconditionally is not worth it anyway!) and know that no matter what, YOU have your back!! YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!! I did a follow-up to this post that can be found here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-follow-up-about-self-love-and-weight.html
In my world, willpower alone is not enough (not NEARLY enough) to make healthy choices regularly. My workout motivation has centered around years of gratitude practice for what my body is capable of (literally take a second to picture all the complex mechanisms that are involved in just getting one finger to move!!) and I've created systems to get me moving and keep me accountable (thank you, online challenge groups with my clients). My nutrition is the same way. Relying on willpower alone to make healthy choices or avoid the junk would be setting myself up for failure (that's why I don't do so great at parties or cookouts where the junk food is a temptation for hours on end)! But at home, I have great systems. I literally won't let myself buy junk at the grocery store and I make sure to keep my fridge PACKED with the healthy stuff. So for example, one aspect of this system is to make sure I never miss a farmer's market! So at least I know that every single Tuesday, my fridge is getting restocked with lots of fresh produce. I don't crave junk when I have all this delicious, healthy food keeping me well nourished!
What are some of your systems for good health??
Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
If you are a teacher, you will inevitably be judged for being too strict, or not strict enough or giving too many tests
If you are a doctor, you will be judged by the patient who is in denial about the weight they need to lose, or you will be judged because you can't save every person
If you are a healer or meditation guru, you get judged for being hokey or "too positive"
If you are successful in business, you will be judged for being too greedy
If you are professional athlete, you get judged for making too much money or for dropping the ball
If you are a celebrity, you will be judged by your appearance or who you are dating or the awards you failed to take home
If you are the president, you get judged for... everything
If you are a yoga teacher, you will be judged for not having a "real job"
If you are an author, you will be judged for that book that flopped
I could go on and on. Every profession will be judged at some point or another by people who are unhappy with their own circumstances or simply because as humans, we all have our own unique set of values and experiences and opinions! But instead of fearing judgement, focus on doing what you love and serving the world! If you're going to be judged regardless, might as well get it for doing something that sets your soul on fire!!!
Have you ever heard the saying, “Begin with the end in mind”? I’d like to amend that to include, “End with the beginning in mind” as well. How often do we get hung up in where we want to be rather than having appreciation for how far we’ve come?
