Hey, friends! This post feels vulnerable and scary to write and I’ve contemplated even sharing it. It’s one of those things that seem so normal yet being in my position, it makes me feel like a total imposter. But it’s something that’s important for all to hear and that’s my mission. I want to empower individuals to take action on their health and well-being. I want to help other women tap into their confidence. And I want to be open and honest with my audience, including the hard and scary. I’m a health professional, as most of you know. I’m a Certified Health Education Specialist with a Master’s and Bachelor’s in Health Education and Behavior Disorders. I’m a Certified Yoga Instructor and a Group Fitness Coach. Needless to say, I’m kind of a health nut (within moderation, of course. I love all things chocolate and definitely am not the “go for a salad” type). But, health and real wellness are what I know best. It’s what sets my soul on fire. There is NOTHING better than helping a client have an “ah-ha” moment or seeing them break through their mental blocks. My clients are transforming their lives through this work and it’s a magical thing to watch and be a part of.

We also live in an age where everything can seem perfect online. We think that models always look runway ready, like bodybuilders never eat carbs, and celebrities are always living their absolute best life. That’s not real life. And that goes all the way down to me. Being a health professional doesn’t mean I am a walking billboard for perfect health. People at the gym are always commenting on my lifestyle and mention how I always go the extra mile. And though there is some truth to that, that’s not always my reality. I love challenging myself. I spent years hating my body and hating the idea of health and fitness (that’s a story for another time) and being able to feel so strong mentally and physically is beyond liberating. Pushing myself to reach new heights in my knowledge and fitness is perhaps what makes me such a great coach.

The Struggle

With all of that being said, I also struggle with my health. I go the extra mile in my journey when I can because so often, I feel defeated by my own body. Social media can make it seem like I have it all together. It’s easy to see me talking about my clients’ wins, working on the next online program, working out in the gym, and coaching classes, and though this is so much of my life, you don’t always see the struggle. You don’t see the agonizing pain shooting through my body. I have been struggling for years with chronic pain throughout this vessel carrying my being and over the past year, it’s gotten so much worse. It comes and goes when it wants. My joints feel like they are on fire, my energy is completely depleted, my head feels numb, and the pulsing sensation throughout my muscles sometimes feels unbearable. I’ll feel this for a week or two and one day will wake up and start feeling more like myself. Energy restored, body calm, and peace of mind.

I haven’t been sharing much about my own health because truthfully, I don’t even have all of the answers right now. Everyone seems to have the “best fix” and wants to give unsolicited advice. I know the steps that need to be taken and I’m seeking the help that I need most. This post isn’t an invitation for suggestions on what I could do better or some miracle cure for a problem that isn’t even diagnosed. It’s merely a message of reality. I have been dealing with these issues for years and it wasn’t until I stepped into my intuition that I was able to truly know and understand what I need. When my body is in a flare-up, I know exactly what I need to feel stable. Though I may not be able to resolve every issue in my body right then and there, I have the tools and resources to look within, analyze what my innate needs and desires are, and bring that to life. If you would have asked me a few years ago what was going on, I wouldn’t have been able to define it. I would have numbed out with binge eating and shutting down, all while drowning my body in over-the-counter medicine that I thought could heal me.

The Healing is Within

Over-the-counter medicine isn’t what heals, we do. The magic of healing doesn’t come from external resources, it comes from within. Healing isn’t about curing the surface, it’s about knowing the origin of the issue and taking a preventative approach to health to reduce the onset and intensity of pain, emotional and physical. That is the core of my work, my coaching, and my life.

For so long, I believed that if my health wasn’t perfect, how could I help others on their own health journey? But the thing is, we get to choose how we show up. My health isn’t about the pain I experience or the numbers that show up on a chart. My health is about how I allow these imperfections to define me. It’s about showing up in true wellness and continuing to put myself first. And the same goes for my coaching. My clients are human, and they trust me because I’m a human too. That’s where the true community comes from. It’s about learning, growing, and healing; together. Through all our flaws, imperfections, and magical traits.

 Community Over Competition

Just because I’m a health professional, doesn’t mean I have all the answers. I think the hardest part of any profession is recognizing that there is always more to learn and that asking for help isn’t a bad thing. We often get into this cycle of being too proud to lean into our unknowingness, so we build walls. We build walls that lead to disconnection and ignorance out of fear of being wrong. But, how else can we learn and grow when we put up shields of defensiveness? How are we able to step into sheer bliss when we have a guard up that doesn’t allow us to be our most innate, free self? We can’t.

We simply cannot live in real health and optimal confidence when we aren’t trusting ourselves enough to ask for help and trusting others to guide us. It’s a scary place to be and I’ve been living in that place for far too long. It’s degrading to my mental health, and it has put me in a place of lacking true, authentic connection with other people and women that simply want to do just that, help. At the end of the day, we are all human and when we prevent our truest selves from being seen, we block out the real magic in this life, human connection.

I Want to be Clear Here…

There is no such thing as a perfect bill of health. There is no possible way to eat all the right things, consume all of the right information, and practice all of the right things. Why? Because none of that exists. It’s not possible because every single person has a different body and different needs. Your blood work may look great while your mental health suffers. The scale may say you have a great BMI while you have disordered eating and poor gut health as a result. You may have a clear chart while you’re chronically suffering from “invisible” aches and pains all over. We cannot simply measure health through tests and numbers.

Your health is a journey, as is mine. It’s scary admitting what you don’t know. It’s scary admitting that you struggle with things that everyone else is struggling with. I’m not too sure why, it’s just the reality that we’re all going through. But it proves that this life is just a journey filled with so many twists and turns and we get to choose the path we’re on. I’m choosing the path of honesty, healing, and true health and wellness. The one that is filled with hard conversations, admitting where we are beautifully flawed, and opening space for learning, growing, and connecting.

Let’s let go of the perfect image we have in our minds of what our lives need to look like. You don’t need to be perfect at something to go do it. If I would have waited to have perfect health until I become a health coach, I would have never gotten there. The path I took has been so rewarding and fulfilling. I’m working with clients that are thriving and improving their health and wellness every single day. They are breaking ground on their goals and creating pure magic in their lives and I’m so fortunate to be a huge part of that. Go for the gold. Do the hard and scary things. It will never be perfect but it sure will be beautiful. If it were easy, everyone would do it.