Why do you do what you do? – This is a commonly asked question.

 

I feel like the reasons are obvious, especially to anyone who has worked with me, however, with a littered fitness industry with millions of personal trainers, I really want to break down WHY this is my passion.

Bringing happiness to other humans is something that I have always loved to do.

As a child and young adult, I have always struggled with body image. I spent the better part of 10 years hating my body and hating who I was, when in all reality I had absolutely no reason to feel this way. I have always been a good-hearted person and excelled in almost everything I did.

So, the question may come into play, why did I feel this way? The question is obvious, the answer is not so clear. I am not entirely sure what drove me to the point of such extreme self-hatred, so much so that I refused to eat, I drank every day and smoked so much that I don’t really recall too much from the last 2 years of high school.

Yes, this was MY reality and I’m sharing this to shine light on the truth and be as transparent as possible.

Everyone thinks I just fell into fitness, but it was a choice that I made. I was inspired by my brother and never looked back. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that I made the decision that I was better than the life I was living and if I didn’t get out soon, it would swallow me whole. Working out made me happy, it gave me a sense of accomplishment and somewhere I could go to be in my own world.

Truth is, I have always struggled with depression and feeling lost without a sense of purpose. Panic attacks were a regular thing and I could not see any light at the end of the grim tunnel that my mind was consumed in. I felt like I would never be able to wake up and be happy without having to just put a smile on and fake it. I was too “proud” to ask for help or to tell other people that I felt this way because of the stigma that is accompanied with mental illness.

The only thing that brought me joy was being able to bring joy to others and see other people happy. I would trade my happiness in one second just to see someone smile. This is no fluff, no bullshit, this is the truest form of me. I live to serve others.

So, at 21 years old (24 now), I finally found my purpose. I finally found the one thing that filled the void I had always felt and this was personal training. I don’t mean a 30-minute session once a week in a big box gym. I mean one on one work with each and every person that has chosen to join my tribe of beautifully strong ladies!

The truth is I care, I care so much. God has blessed me with the opportunity to help the women struggling with exactly what I went through. Who knows, maybe my struggle was all part of his plan to put me EXACTLY where I am today.

I know what it feels like to have a whole family of support and still feeling alone. I know what waking up every single day sad feels like. I’m not just a personal trainer. I am an advocate for mental health and self-love. It just so happens that I’ve been able to help people heal and find self-love through personal training. This is why I do what I do. It’s no ploy. It’s not just a business. I created a business because this is what I want my career to be so I can spend every single second of my day changing the lives of people around me.

I feel compelled to share this because I know I’m not the only one who has struggled. There are millions of people out there that are just like me and if this can give just one person hope to keep going then it is all worth it. If people can see that I overcame this, then maybe they will believe they can too.

If you can take anything away from this blog it is NEVER be afraid to ask for help, there are people who care, more people than you know. You deserve the chance at happiness. I have learned to love myself and you can too.

 

L