Before and After

“There is no ‘after photo’ there is only your journey.” –Love Life in Balance

After supporting hundreds of women through Thrive and during my time as a competitive triathlete, I’ve come to realize twofold: (1) Life is hard—and it doesn’t get easier and (2) Our self-love, strength and attitude—or lack thereof—determines if we rise above the chaos, or not.

On occasion I’ve risen above my challenges and in other moments fallen flat on my face. But I keep going, trusting that if I continue to put one foot forward, taking one day at a time, I will be that much closer to reaching my goals.

For many of you, fitness, nutrition and well-being goals are high priorities. And through Thrive you are experiencing strength and cardiovascular gains—even body composition changes—a fresh look at the foods you eat to fuel your body, and perhaps a shift in thoughts, attitudes, and more.

Being strong and healthy is about so much more than ‘before and after’ photos. In fact, there is no ‘after’ photo. Do we ever truly ‘arrive’ or reach a final destination? I like to consider life a journey, not an end point or ‘after’ photo.

My journey is far from over.

I proudly admit that I am and always will be a work in progress.

Do you feel like you’ve ‘made it’ or do you relate to being more of a ‘work in progress’? Personally I relate to the latter. While I have accomplished many goals, I sometimes feel inadequate—not ‘fit’ enough, ‘smart’ enough, ‘emotionally strong’ enough—but I know there will always be opportunities for new growth, new goals and more change.

When the work it requires to progress seems more like a chore I rely on balance to see me through. I’ve found striking a healthy balance between my top priorities in life yields the most satisfying—not necessarily greatest (as defined by our culture, media, peers)—results.

Together let’s continue our journeys—tackling chaos, balancing priorities, and making room for growth and change!