The Difference a Year Can Make!

Many of my fellow-CrossFitters have a blog and one of my good friends that I care about very much takes their blog very seriously. I love to read their blogs for insight and inspiration. I am not vein enough to think that my blog will become a big deal, however, as I was looking back at the changes I have made in my life over the past year, I would like to share my on-going everyday transformations with the people. If I can touch one person through this blog, I will be more than ecstatic. I would love to share my heart over the past year on how I have come to this point. I have made DRASTIC changes in my life spiritually, emotionally, and physically over the past year.


Physically
For anyone who has been a part of my life since February, the physical changes I have made in my life are pretty evident. Since the start of February, I have lost 35 pounds and have gone down 3.5 pant sizes (between sizes right now). I am toning up and losing fat and feel GREAT! What changed? EVERYTHING!!!!!! I drastically changed my dieting lifestyle and how I viewed food by starting on the "paleo plan". If you don't know what paleo is, just type in "paleo diet" in a search engine, and you'll get countless results. It's also known as the "Caveman Diet". If research isn't your strong suite, feel free to ask me! I am very passionate about this! I often direct people to Marks Daily Apple. The second thing I changed is my exercise/training... I joined a CrossFit box called CrossFit Fire, thanks to my awesome brother for introducing it to me. The easiest way to describe CrossFit Fire is boot camp, mixed with personal training in a group setting, with an UNREAL community. Please go to Crossfitfire.com for more information. The only way to describe CrossFit is to do it! I love every second that I'm there and have pushed myself to the limit in more ways than one. I am very blessed to have found this amazing group of people!


Emotionally
For those of you who did not know me before CrossFit, you did not know the completely and totally insecure scared little girl hiding behind an outgoing and bubbly personality. There have been many circumstances in my life that lead me to be scared and insecure... I will not go into detail to them tonight, but I am an open book, and anyone wanting to know more about me, merely has to ask, and I will tell them anything and everything. However, being a part of CrossFit has made me confident in who I am and  who God made me. Even if I only lost 5 pounds, I would still probably feel this confident because of the encouragement I always get at CrossFit. The outgoing, open, and bubbly personality is still there, but now the confidence is real :-)


I also have completed my first year of teaching... Talk about growing up! A career, a budget, getting a new car, and more importantly being entrusted by parents for 22 amazing students! I drastically matured as a person and as a teacher. I learned so much about myself through teaching those children. The biggest challenge in throwing my energy into my first year of teaching, has been learning to live a balanced life, which I finally feel like, in the last three months of school, I was able to achieve. I love my career and have no doubt that I am where I'm meant to be in that, but I also love MANY other aspects of my life. As much as I love it, I do not want my career to define me. I hope to continuing learning to balance my life in my second year. I can't wait :-)


Spiritually
Anyone who holds a conversation with me for more than 5 minutes, knows that I am not shy about my faith. I love to talk about it because as passionate as I am about CrossFit, diet, and teaching, it doesn't even compare to my faith! I wasn't always as bold as I am now. I actually spent last summer through December in a very dark place spiritually. I wasn't as willing and open to talk about it. I was trying to live with one foot in the church and one foot in the world. Over my winter break, I had a HUGE breakthrough! It sounds simple, but hearing it and living it are two VERY different things. I finally put my WHOLE trust in Him in every area knowing that it is because of Him that I have everything I have. My job, is a gift from Him. My family, a gift from Him. My friends, my church, my house, CrossFit, breath, food, etc... It's all from Him! Since then, every morning when I wake up, the first thing I pray is, "Lord, please put me in your will today. I don't know what that looks like, but I know that's what I want." The difference that simple prayer has made in my life is exponential! I still have my struggles, as I am human, but I have never felt closer to God or heard His voice in my heart more clearly than I do now. I continue to struggle with loneliness, but I know I am never alone... Not only am I surrounded by people who love me, but He is with me ALL THE TIME! Holy cow! The God of the Universe is with me ALL THE TIME! He loves me SO much that He demonstrates his grace and mercy on a daily basis when I don't deserve it. So, if I talk to you about my faith, I am NOT trying to put my view on you or make you believe what I believe (in fact, I'd LOVE to hear what others believe as well because beliefs cut to the core of who a person is), I am merely passionate about it. It is what makes me, me and is my driving force in my life :-)


Sooooo, that's about all I have for tonight. I don't know what this blog will look like or if there's even a vision for it. There will probably be a lot of talk on CrossFit, paleo, challenges, and faith... I'm not 100% sure... But, if there's one thing I've learned over the last year of my life, it's that situations in life lead to everyday transformations. I am proof of that.