This is exactly what I asked myself as I went into the competition….what could I do to ensure that I won?  That question became tougher to answer as I stood on stage and had girl after girl get called to the center stage while I was still on the perimeter.  With almost 40 girls in my class, all of us looking top notch, choosing the "best" could not have been easy.

 while I didn’t place in the top 15 or even the top 20, I still won my competition.  My winning came from the daily nutrition and exercise discipline, the hours spent refining my routine or my diet, the courage it took to step on stage with so many great physiques and to still have a smile on my face regardless of my placing.

When you put your all into what you do, you cannot help but win…..I may not have walked away with a trophy but my win came before I even stepped foot on that stage.  My win was my daily committment to improving myself and being the best that I can be.  Being on stage was just a way to display my hard work. 

So, before you step on stage for your next competition, remember that you have already won!  Who you became in your journey to get there is the prize!  Stepping on stage is just for fun! 

 Just wanted to share this with all of my friends here!  You all inspire me to keep doing what I do!

Obviously, for everyone it is going to be different.  Different people and circumstances move us and enliven us to want to be and do better.  But, what inspires you is your CHOICE!  And quite honestly, I am inspired by most people I meet on BodySpace.  Why?  Because everyday, you all are on here, encouraging each other, asking for help when you are down, and learning what you can to live a healthier and fitter lifestyle….isn’t that worth deeming that each of you are inspiring?  I think so.

It troubles me when people are only inspired by others who have lost 100+ pounds or survived a major health situation because it fails to recognize the people who are on a daily basis doing something to improve their lives and it means that very few things will be inspiring to you. 

Each of us has a gift that we can offer to others.  Some inspire through their triumphs over difficulty, or through their physique or their willingness to help each other.  So, I want to thank each of you who has been in contact with me for sharing your gift.  You are all inspirational!

And I hope to continue sharing and inspiring you!  Please feel free to use this blog to share what inspires you, as we all can benefit from hearing the uplifting stories you have!

Chrissy

www.GoddessAthlete.com

What is priceless to me is that every day, thousands of us get on this website to celebrate our successes and support each other on days that don’t feel so successful.

We all have it within us to reach our goals, but together, we are unstoppable.  Two heads are better than one, right?  And with this community there are a LOT of heads working together to achieve health, wellness, and a rockin’ physique.  Maybe today I’m just having a sappy day, but I’m truly grateful for my friends and this community which is solely dedicated to helping and supporting each other!  It is equally gratifying (if not more so) to help someone else reach their goal as it is to be successful myself.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Chrissy (www.GoddessAthlete.com)

If you haven’t already sent me an email or message about what you would like to see, please do that ASAP, as I want to get as many of them done as I can to answer your questions about technique and alignment!

I hope you all had a great weekend!  I’m getting ready to move (and finish my book….find out more by subscribing to my free newsletter at www.GoddessAthlete.com) so there is lots going, but as always, I appreciate talking with all of you and helping you in any way that I can!

How do you get there, you may ask?  Do what I have my students and clients do.  Start a journal.  There are many things that you could record in that journal, but most important are your daily successes.  Why?  Because people who are not creating a life that they are in love with typically are focusing on those things that are going wrong!!!  Your mind just needs a little training.  It has been going on autopilot and now needs your attention to guide it in the direction in which you now want to go.
Before you go to bed, write your successes or “wins” in your journal.  At first, you may find this challenging if this is new to you.  But just like any other task, the more you practice, the easier it becomes. 
Your success journal does NOT have to read:
·         Saved the world
·         Earned $1 million today
·         Met my soulmate
Identifying day-to-day successes are just as important as the successes that you consider milestones in your life, for without the “smaller” successes, the big ones might never have been achievable. 
So, your journal might read:
·         Went for a walk at lunch
·         Drank 8 glasses of water
·         Told my family how much I love them
·         Sent my boss an email thanking her for her help with the big project
You want to identify at least 3 successes every day. 
I have found that once people get going, the list may go on for pages at the end of your day.  GREAT!  The more successes you list, the more you are programming your mind that you are already a success.
No one else gets to determine whether or not what you write down constitutes a success.  If you think that you are successful, then you are successful.  What anyone else says or thinks does not matter.  They are speaking from their own perspective, and since you are living your life (not theirs), you need to focus on what constitutes a success for YOU!!
Remember, success is a CHOICE!  Start tracking your successes TODAY and start seeing more of what you WANT come into your life!
For more inspiration in achieving your goals, subscribe to my FREE newsletter at www.goddessathlete.com or email me at chrissy@goddessathlete.com. 

Here’s to YOUR success! 

What does that mean?  It means no matter how many times you get knocked down by life, in a fight, or even yourself, you get back up and begin AGAIN, and again, and again and again.  For many of you know my belief, “you cannot fail, you can only stop.”

Well, the past two weeks, I have been put to the test.  With overtraining (not necessarily in the gym but doing too much and not getting enough rest), my body has been forcing me to be more down than I am accustomed to.  At first, I fought it, thinking that I am stronger than this, but then I gave in and remembered that often the quickest way up is DOWN!  How, you may wonder?  Well, the quicker the body gets the rest that it needs, the more quickly you are bouncing around again.  For those of you who are in martial arts, you know that you may have to go to the ground in order to get the leverage that you need over your opponent.  Going down allows you to get back up, and that is what I had to do.

I had to take time off from training, from working, and from DOING to give my body and mind the rest that it needs.  And, today in the gym, rather than feeling weak, I felt strong and powerful!!!  And as I came home from my workout, I walked past a squirrel and I stopped to watch him, as I love watching animals.  As he jumped up in a tree, I saw that his stomach was red and raw (he obviously has had some difficulty lately), but he continued climbing the tree and lept into the air to the roof of the building.  At first, I felt sorry for him, as he must be in pain, but then I thought about it some more, and realized that he is probably just fine.  He has been down, but he is climbing back up again. 

I read some research recently that showed that despite wild animals suffering attacks from other animals and other hardships, they don’t have post traumatic stress (how they determine this is beyond me).  But animals, unless conditioned by being beaten over and over again, tend to heal their wounds and move forward.  They aren’t stuck in the past but move to the future.  Children are often like this too.  One moment they are crying, then they see something that they like (something as simple as a leaf floating by) and they are up again exploring the world.  They are down, but don’t stay down for long.

Most all of nature does this……trees, animals, and most all of nature shuts down for a period of time (especially in the winter) but every year, the trees are bigger and stronger.  Nature is a good reminder that in order to grow, in order to reach our goals, sometimes we need to retreat and do LESS.  We need those days off from work and from working out.  Sometimes we need longer periods of time off, but that’s necessary for us to grow.

So, 7 times down may become 7 million if you are someone who pushes it hard, but as long as there is a 7 million AND ONE times back up, just like the squirrel, you will keep climbing, you will come back stronger, and you will reach your goal!

And to help you stay motivated on that journey up, I’ve started a free newsletter this month that you can subscribe to at www.GoddessAthlete.com.

I encourage you all to love your sport or your workouts (I know I LOVE pumping iron in the gym), but also appreciate your time down, as that is when the REAL GROWTH OCCURS!  And next time you get knocked down, take the time that you need to be down and get right back up!

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=289546171&postcount=794

Thanks to Brad for the invite and to all of the Healthy Bodies Challenge participants for your committment to lead a healthier and more inspired life! 

If you have a group that could benefit from participating in an informational and motivational workshop, contact me at www.GoddessAthlete.com and my next trip could be to come inspire YOU!

Have a happy and healthy weekend!