100 workouts by 30

okay.  as I inch closer and closer to my 30th birthday in 2017 I am realizing more things about myself.  one of the glaring realizations is that I am not the woman I was just four years ago.  i have a true admiration for her.  she took the odds, beat em, and strung her successes along to build a bridge from one point of her life to the next (which is now).  

a lot of the work I've been up to in the past few years has been awesome and some of it has been fruitless.  the woman who I look at every day in the daytime and at night; I have the utmost respect for her.  she is bonafide.  her support system is real.  her love is loud.  her conscience is 110% clear.  AND she is in a starkly different place than the young 20-something she was just a few years ago.  for example:  she's 20 lbs heavier and she really isn't clear on what goals to take on next.  

should she move to a distant land?  can she really bring that dream to reality?  where should she spend most of her time these days?  although I am a lot more sure in myself and who I am inherently, I have grown to truly trust myself, the future is a little unsure--and that's okay.  the less I know, the more I can create!  on that note I introduce a part of my work as I venture certainly into my 30s (and uncertainly in to what's next).  between now and April 2017, I will do 100 workouts in +/- 125 days.

what this goal means to me is a few things:

1.  my commitment to growing old powerfully (physically + mentally)

2. finally taking on my goal to lose 15 of the 20 lbs I've gained over the past 2.5 years

3. giving myself a fair position to take on the next steps.  i am a firm believer in sweat making life a level playing field.  you see more clearly and no one can outdo their best effort.  pushing myself physically daily challenges my mind, heart, and spirit makes the game more fun and engaging.  i will have to put in to it what i do actually want back out and that method will show up in my life elsewhere and in significant ways.

the ultimate goal is simply to end up stronger.  the second ultimate goal (lol) is to weigh 15 lbs lighter by the time my actual 30th birthday arrives (April 10th).  the final ultimate goal is to see what being honest with myself about an innermost desire gets me.

obviously I will document what's appropriate and what's possible and I will definitely track my successes and failures in the end.  so far, I have done one workout. :) this is one of the few goals I've set that excites me and scares me at the same time.  100 workouts will cost dollars, time, and inauthenticity.  i am incredibly tied to my physical being.  be it because I am an Aries or an athlete, for every bump there may be in my road, I can already call it that a real reaction will be expressed physically, verbally, and mentally if I come up against a tough time.  maybe I'll use this space to express myself, maybe I won't, but I am glad to have said it all aloud to the interwebs as I begin it.

whatever the case, I will see you all in April physically lighter, mentally fortuitous, and spiritually sound.  

peace

Melissa

Goals

Been crushing goals like woah, lately.  What's interesting is that the cool thing about goals is that it's about putting them out there and being audacious.

I accomplished two in a matter of weeks that have been in the works for a while.  I got the opp to visit my company's HQ and spent quality time getting clear on my goals here.  The other was to be a fitness model and I got to do that for a good friend of mine over the weekend.

The latter was put into motion almost four years ago and the former, a big audacious bet that I came up with at the beginning of the year.  And they happened.  I told people that it was such a joy to know that God really hears me and knows my deepest desires.  I reassured myself that what Paulo Coehlo wrote in this book, The Alchemist, that:  “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

With these hairy goals checked off the list, I'm feeling so inspired and pumped up about filling them with cool shit when the mood strikes.  So far, my BF and I are beginning a heritage exploration at the beginning of 2016 and will take a trip at the end of the year to visit our respective motherlands.  That gets me so excited because we will learn so much about our history AND a sweet trip will be in order to celebrate our lives and our efforts. 

What will the other be?  Only time will tell.

What do you know of your heritage?

What big goals have you crushed in 2016?

I have a pic of the set below.  It was such a good time.

Holler back,

Melissa

Vegan

So I'm going vegan this year!

I've wanted to go vegetarian/vegan since I was a teenager and this year is the year. at any moment I may go cold turkey, but so far I am planning a year long elimination process.  Here's the plan:

January: Red Meat (beef & lamb)
February: Candy/white sugar
March: Pork
April: Pop/Soda
May: Chicken
June: Ice cream
July: Turkey
August : Cheese
September: Shellfish
October: Caffeine
November: Fish
December: Eggs

Meanwhile I will be practicing veganism, but I feel like this will make things even easier.  I may even add things in place of the things I take out so it's not only about deprivation.   Like beef out, daily meditation in.  Cheese out, yoga or running in.  Stuff like that.

It's gonna be fun. !  :)

I have always heard that once you make your mind up about something then everything falls into place. Other great ideas and actions arise.  You naturally just go into autopilot toward the life you love.

I want to go vegan for a few reasons:

The environment.  Meat production can be pretty bad for the planet.

Health.  "Let food be thy medicine." -- or something. I don't like cancer or diabetes.  I'm no scientist or doctor.. but a veggie based diet has been shown to have adverse affect on bad things.

Health again.  More energy. Better rest. A nice healthy glow. Strong nails.  Things like that.

Save money.  Everybody knows that a veggie based diet is madd cheap.  Unless you get too into the pre-made and super processed "healthy" foods versus the fresh ones.

I don't plan on being all "my vegan life" and how much I had to do to make myself comfortable around a bunch of meat eaters for Thanksgiving, etc.  But I may post recipes or cool replacement ideas for meals, etc.

Just giving something, I've always wanted to do, a try. Just like sky diving or guitar lessons.

I'm so excited. Nothing better than creating the life you love. Getting your hands dirty. Being healthy. And learning new things along the way.

:)

Here goes nothin'!

Melissa