If It's Still In Your Mind...It's Worth Taking The Leap

This particular blog post is one that has been in the works - mentally - for a while. I knew today was coming up. I knew what I wanted to say. But, I was searching for the perfect title for the post. And then, a fellow Coach posted this pic to her Facebook feed and I knew that was it. It summed up everything I wanted to say.

"If it's still in your mind...it's worth taking the leap." 

As many of you know, 2 years ago, my husband was out of work, I was a stay-at-home-mom to 6 month old twins and we were broke. I had been a Beachbody customer for years & the idea of Coaching had been in my mind for MONTHS. Part of me though it'd be a cool thing to try. Part of me thought "don't waste your time or money...you're going to fail at it." But, I just couldn't get it out of my head. Trust me - I tried. I didn't want to think about it. It just kept popping up.

I received some money from Mother's Day as a gift. The shopaholic in me wanted to hit the mall ASAP to buy shoes or some makeup. But a voice in my head kept saying "Coach. Coach. Coach." I call it God. Call it a higher power. Call it intuition. Call it destiny. Call it whatever you believe in. So, a little begrudgingly, I took my money - that I'd much rather be spending on other things - and signed up to become a Coach. I will be 100% honest. I had no idea what I was getting into. I figured I'd do it for a few months, say "I tried" and then throw in the towel and quit. Two years ago - I took that leap...

As months went on, I started attending local events & the positive energy I felt from fellow Coaches was infectious. I always left meetings with a smile on my face and a laser focus with what I wanted to do. I started setting goals. I started building my team. I started expanding my network. Has it been all sunshine and roses? No. Like any job or business, there's good days and bad days. But those good days are SO GOOD and they outnumber those few bad days. 

Beachbody had helped my physically. Shakeology daily & my at home workouts have helped me shed the baby weight - and then some. But more important than that, Beachbody has given me freedom in a job that I never had before. I don't have to request vacation days. I can work from anywhere - my couch, an airplane, in the waiting room of a dr's office, sitting outside in the sun, in the car...literally anywhere....and at any time. I get to choose who I want to work with. And the best part is that I don't have to give up any time with my kids to do this. I knew when we started a family that I wanted to be at home. But, when that time came, we had no idea how much of a financial impact that would have. Our family literally doubled in size and our income got cut in half. Now I can be at home with my kiddos & work before they get up or when they nap. It's truly the best of both worlds.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my car. I received a text from my upline sponsor, Brittnae, thanking me for all of my hard work. I took a second. Looked down at where I was sitting and immediately responded back with a "thank you for getting me involved in this business because I would literally not be sitting where I am right now if it wasn't for you." Last fall, my CR-V, which was a 1998, finally was getting to the point where, to pass inspection, we were going to have to put more into it than it was worth. I NEEDED a new car. I knew the exact one I wanted (because I had put it on my PUSH Goal list for the year). As I was texting Brittnae, I was sitting in my Honda Pilot. The SUV I've wanted since it got released. And I can say with 100% certainty, that owning that vehicle would not be possible without Beachbody. Earning enough money in a week to pay for a car payment may not sound like much to some, but for us, it's HUGE. When I see that car, it's not just the car I wanted. When I look at it, it reminds me of everyone I've worked with these past 2 years. The people who have made a commitment to themselves to change their lives and get healthy. It reminds me of all of the amazing people in my challenge groups. It reminds me of my team. 

I have been able to meet the most amazing people. Travel to places I've never been. Do things I never expected to do. Never in a million years did I think I'd still be doing this 2 years later. 

It's been a wild ride - lots of up and a few downs - but I am thankful daily that I took a chance...that I took that leap...and I owe it to this girl right here... Brittnae - thanks for sticking by me & being there for me. You're a mentor, a friend, a sister :)

If you think that you're ready to take the leap with this amazing opportunity, let's chat to see if it's the right fit for YOU!!!

My Mama

My mama. Some of you know her as Mary. Some of you know her as Mrs. Shannon. Some of you know her as Miss Mary. Some of you don't know her at all. But, I want to preface this post with a heartfelt THANK YOU to all of you who have shown us support as my mom has battled Stage 3 endometrial & uterine cancer.

As I look at myself & my life - there is no doubt that my mom has had a profound influence on where I am and what I'm doing. 

With fitness: my mom was always active. She had numerous Jane Fonda & Joanie Greggains VHS tapes that she'd workout to all the time. And right by her side - me. I watched my mom workout and perhaps the most influential part is that she never made it seem like work. It was fun for her. Something she enjoyed doing. Something she enjoyed getting me involved with. She had a body that moved and she was thankful for it. Exercise was a privilege, not a chore. Thirty some years later, here I am. Fitness Coach & Fitness Instructor. I used to workout only when I could be alone. It was my "me time" where I just zone out. And yes, depending on the workout now, that's sometimes still the case. My kids would get bored watching mommy run on the treadmill for 5 miles. But, if it's a day where I'm popping in a DVD, I bring them into the room with me & encourage them to participate. I want to instill the same thoughts into their head that my mom did with me. Exercise is a privilege. A healthy body is not something to be taken for granted. 

With my obsession with make up: this was something that also started at a very young age. My mama had a VHS from Lynda Carter - yes, Wonder Woman - called Secrets To The Perfect Make Up. I'm surprised I didn't wear that tape out. My mom would give me all of her old make up, put me in front of the TV with a mirror, let me watch the tape & do my thing. She'd let me experiment with all the different colors & try new things. If we were friends in elementary or middle school, there's a chance you did this video with me at a sleepover or on a Saturday afternoon. I'm not a very creative person - artistically speaking. But, when it came to make up - it always fascinated me. It was never about covering up flaws...it was always about bringing out & highlighting your best features. I could sit around all day in Sephora or Ulta and just play. 

My mom has always supported me. When I told her I wanted to go to college as a Theater major, she supported me. When I wanted to switch my major from Theater to Nursing, she supported me. When I wanted to switch my major from Nursing to Business Management, she supported me. When I wanted to run a half marathon 6 months after giving birth to twins via c-section, she told me to go for it. When I told her I was going to become a Beachbody Coach, she was thrilled. No matter what I've done in life, no matter how sane or insane the choice I was making, she's always supported me. 

And now it's my turn to show my mom some extra support - and you can join in too!!! Next month, I'm running my 3rd half marathon. Perhaps my craziest running decision to date because of the amount, or lack thereof, of training time & also the time of year. I don't like to go outside in the summer to get the mail, let alone run 13.1 miles. But, this race is about more than that. It's about doing something hard. Something that pushes me far outside of my comfort zone. It's about running those miles for my mama because I know she'd do the same for me.

As you probably know, my mom's cancer treatment over the past few months was successful. Earlier this year, she was declared cancer free. However, the doctors wanted her to go through another round of chemo just to make sure all of the cancer cells were gone. This round of chemo will be more intense. She will lose her hair this time & will feel more ill/rundown. This has not been a fun process for her to go through. She has her good days and her bad days. But I can't tell you how important all of your thoughts, prayers, cards, phone calls, texts, etc. have been to her. She's so encouraged by all of the love and support. Going through this second round of chemo isn't something she wants to do. But, she is doing it because we want her here. 

She's now 76 years old. And other than this stupid cancer & a little arthritis, she's in fantastic shape. I will consider myself lucky if I'm in as good of shape at age 50 as she is at 76. 

I've decided to start a little campaign called Miles For Mary & I encourage you all to get involved. This is all about getting up & moving. Getting as many people involved as possible. So, whether you're a runner, a walker or maybe you're taking a leisurely family stroll around the neighborhood, all I ask is that you take a picture during/after your walk/run and post it. If you're on Facebook, tag me in the post so that I can see the pic. If you're on Instagram, tag me in the post & use the hashtag #milesformary on the pic. I want to be able to show my mom all of the pics of everyone walking and running in her honor. I know this will bring such a huge smile to her face. I created a shirt with the #milesformary hashtag on it & I'll be wearing it during my half marathon next month. If you'd like to buy one too, you're more than welcome to! There are unisex t-shirts, ladies tank tops & youth t-shirts available. 

Unisex Tshirts click HERE
Ladies tank top click HERE
Youth Tshirt click HERE

Thank you all again for your outpouring of support - it truly has been a blessing to us!!!