To anyone who had followed my previous blog you may have noticed that I switched platforms.  I desired a change of scenery so to speak.  A reset button.  A fresh start.  Call it what you want, but I think this will be a nice place to continue to express myself and share my adventures throughout life.  The beginning of this year has not been a smooth one.  It has been full of uncertainty and anxiety and I let it get the best of me.  I am inspired to move forward with the full intent of living mindfully in the present.

For those who may stumble across this blog somehow and not know a thing about me, here is a short introduction of things that describe me in a nutshell.  Competitive jump roper.  Elite athlete.  Graduate student.  Personal trainer.  Health and wellness coach.  Aspiring cancer exercise trainer.  Animal lover.  Penguin enthusiast.  Sister.  Horse owner.  Football fanatic.  The list of course could be endless that is why it is my intent for people to get to know me more through my writing.

This blog is one way that I can stay accountable to myself.  Writing has always been a great form of self care for me and it is important to stop and take the time to be mindful about my thoughts and emotions.  Writing forces me to sit down and deal with these emotions in a healthy way.  There may not be any organization to my ramblings, but they serve an important function for my health.  Some of the top things that keep me balanced in life include sleep, a balanced meal plan, physical exercise, close connections with the important people in my life, and writing or other forms of creative outlets like music and art.  These are the areas that I am practicing being mindful about and checking in on a daily basis.  I have been neglecting several of these areas lately and I know to be my best self I can’t ignore a single one.  Also realizing trouble in certain areas will allow me not to slide all the way down the hill, but rather catch myself in the slide and move forward more quickly.  A lot of people, especially people in recovery, like to think of tomorrow as a brand new day.  While this thinking is beneficial and does help give people hope, it is way more beneficial for me to take time in the present moment to adjust my thinking and take a step in the right direction right then.  This is me taking that step and not putting it off any longer.  I have picked myself up and have been doing well with things like my meal plan and sleep, but I need to get back to those creative outlets.  I need to keep moving towards the best version of myself so that when school starts in the fall it won’t be so overwhelming and my first instinct won’t be to fall back into bad habits.  I also need this accountability for myself because I am loosening the reins with my treatment team and seeing how things go with less appointments and less “supervision”.  I am confident in my ability to keep moving forward in recovery and am excited to keep learning more about myself and who I am aside from the eating disorder.  In the process of becoming a certified wellness coach we were asked to develop a wellness vision.  We will also ask this of our clients because it is a great way to stay focused on how you see your best self.  Mine is in draft mode but I thought I would share in hopes it might get you thinking about your own wellness vision.

“I am living an inspired and adventurous life.  I am full of energy and confident in my toned, athletic body.  I am flexible, both physically and mentally.  I am grateful and radiate positive energy.  I am anchored in the present and continue to dream about my passions.  I am at my peak physically, allowing me to train and compete at a world class level, free of injury, not because I have to win, but because I want to achieve my full potential.  I am living out full recovery.

This vision is what inspires me to keep moving forward everyday.  I want adventure in my life even if that adventure is found in my backyard or with my dogs.  I want to have energy everyday to do the things I love.  I continue to work on my confidence and build my strength back.  I am training again because I love it and because my body allows for it.  I don’t know if I will compete again but I do know that if I do I will be at my best.  Most of all I want to be fully recovered.  I know it is possible, but I really want to live it and not just dream about it.  I write about these things so that I can come back and remind myself on the tough days to at least put one foot in the right direction even if it is a very small goal for the day.  I encourage anyone reading this to think about their own wellness vision and what it would look like to be your best self.  I also encourage you to share it with people because a support network is one of those things in life that we all need.