Its All Up Too You!

Another Monday is here and it is 5 days until showtime at the Snoqualmie Casino! The weekend was very busy and stressful but I made it through and now I must bear down and make every second count. What I would normally do over the weekend (spread amongst 2 days!) had to be crammed into one and it was busy busy busy. I met with Pete and a couple team mates to pose yesterday when he sprang the memo that it had to be leg day and there were no exceptions! Since the diet changed for the final week, recovery is a lot tougher and therefore you knock out the workout that would be the worst with enough days until show that you can somewhat re-coup. Mentally preparing myself for unexpected leg day was a challenge but with the help of AJ (team mate and overall rockstar) and CJ (Mr. Olympia in the making) we hit our legs hard and had fun in the process. It is amazing how working out with others can really push you further and harder than  you feel like going. It was a successful day, since I got some retail therapy in with AJ :) and spent some time with two amazing individuals who are a blessing in my life!

"Ultimately, it's up to each of us to choose how we will live our lives, hold ourselves to high expectations, standards and continually evaluate whats inside the image we see in the mirror."

I found this quote that I like to look over now and again to remind myself, the life I live and how I choose to live it is ultimately my choice and no one else's! I even have a tattoo that reminds me of this that no one can define me but myself and this is something I will always stand up for. I have had experiences on this journey that involve individuals not supporting what I am doing, think it is a terrible thing for me to do, completely shut me down for choosing to compete, and the list goes on. You know what... Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I don't judge any of these individuals for how they live their life, so please allow me to live mine. I can handle the scrutiny and will continue to hold my head high, for this is MY choice and MY journey. I am happy with who I am and only live each day trying to improve upon myself, never wasting the energy to break down or belittle someone else let alone their dreams. It is a HUGE act of courage to show your dreams to someone else and if they react in a negative way, it is an even bigger task to overcome and stay true to yourself. What I am trying to get at is: Be kind to one another and support those you care and love because we are all unique individuals with very different goals. Enjoy your Monday!

Ciao for now,     J