Happiness is not far away

I have been told I am remembered for my smile; I've been asked "Why are you so happy?" I've been told that I don't have to smile all the time. Does it really make people uncomfortable when one smiles through adversity or just smiles for the simple fact that they are just truly happy?  It made me wonder about my own happiness and adversity I have gone through and why am I always so darn happy?

I am happy; a well adjusted 30 something adult! Remember that show?  "30-Something"  True to life I am a 30 something; on the verge of being an almost "40-something" next month! 

Wow and  almost in the best shape of my life and improving every day as I have committed myself to unique exercise routines. Not unknown ones though, P90x is a social phenomenon & TurboFire is simply a storm of awesomeness.   Both of these are taking the health and fitness industry to a whole new level.  Decide Commit Succeed.  A unique philosophy?  No, not really; just a philosophy that anyone can attain to and do!  That's right DO, one of my friends favorite words! DO!  

My generation has seemed to have broken the cycle of really looking our age, some attributed to botox and plastic surgery.  An avenue that I myself have explored but have not endeavored to do.  Instead I choose exercise, eating right, and  beachbody supplements.  Of course Shakeology is part of my daily routine. Who wouldn't want to get happy knowing that they are going to have more mental clarity, more energy, get their insides healthy?  And my skin.. oh man! MY SKIN is pretty great!  See my picture. I certainly don't my age! 

Yup, there it is, I am in my late, late 30's! So very cool! I've lived greatness, seen it, and attain to have it more in my life!

I am happy for a multitude of reasons.

One of course being addicted to the Word and walking the life of a believer with my eyes steady on God. That's a natural no brainer for me; just a path I have chosen. 

Another path?  Shakeology; which is a meal replacement shake and tastes so; well; yummy! It is true what Beachbody says about this shake: "Nutrition never tasted so good"!  This shake has 70 natural ingredients to provide your body with the nutrients it needs.  And it's not just what your body needs, it is what my body was craving and I didn't even know it. "IMPROVE my body" is what it was screaming at me!  And I'm thinking, hey I'll just eat this salad and call it a day!  Uh, no, not good enough.  So what about a serving of broccoli with the processed meal?  Uh, that was a no too!  So I added Shakeology to my daily routine! And WOOSH; just like Superman flying in; my body was S-A-T-I-S-F-I-E-D! Who knew?  Beachbody knew, Dr. Bill Wheeler knew, and now I know!  *And no more processed foods either for me* Oh and by the way, I was a 2 x a day Mountain Dew drinker, I stopped drinking soda pre-shakeology; it's garbage; and now there's none in the house! I use shakeology to get my energy.  I'm not a coffee drinker either, so my energy is purely Shakeology and eating right.

In my first week of using Shakeology I was regular for the first time in my adult life.  And in my second week, my "Auntie" said something about my skin and how it looked great and I looked younger.  I have always had somewhat good skin, except those years of running horses, training them 18 hours a day, guiding in the Rocky Mountains and being weathered! Oh man, I was a wrinkled mess truly looking older than I was (you won't find those pictures up on FB but I do have them for proof). And now, I am looking and feeling great; a huge confidence booster. So this makes me happy.

Another path to happiness for me?  Working out!  Simply stated I get happy when I workout! Very happy, sometimes so happy that I am beaming for hours; even after being so exhausted  laying on the floor after a P90x workout or a TurboFire HIIT.  It is truly an enjoyment for me as I watch my body morph from loosey goosey to less loosey goosiness and added lean muscle! HELLO!   I whoop it up working out in my own gym at my home (commonly known as the former place a couple vehicles would sit in)!  I holler at the trainer excitedly saying "Oh yeah! Bring It! Yeah, I'll give you 20; shoot I'll give you 22! Fire Drills? I'll give you a Fire Drill!"  Chalene Johnson is my trainer! Tony Horton is my trainer! I enjoy the feelings of quality and form vs quantity right now and I push myself to the limit because you know what? There is a countdown clock!  I know I can DO it, I CAN DO IT! And yes, this makes me very happy! 

I am  also one of those that really enjoys mirrors!  I have hung up many more in my house! I have caught myself watching my walk while in workout gear to check for those added jiggles that need work, to see where I am being lifted more (uh-huh), to see how my clothes are sitting differently!  To check out my bum, my arms, legs, hair and makeup; etc.   I catch myself, lingering longer as I check myself out in jeans; yes kind of constantly when there are mirrors around!   I'm pleased and I know this holiday season is going to be great for me!  I am in control of how I look; and that makes me happy!  So no, I will not be in a food coma on the couch after any holiday dinner.

Almost two years ago I was in an accident. I sustained a difficult and  life threatening injury; one which put me out of commission for quite a while (20 months) and had me taking many trips to the Naval Hospital.  When I was injured I was a size minus zero ( I shopped in the little girl section for my swim suits and skinny jeans, wearing a 23 or 24" waist jean) and at 5'almost8"  that's not good nor attractive!! And remember wrinkled skin.  I gained loads of weight!  After my accident  I couldn't even do a sit up and that's from doing 100 sit ups a day and loads of push ups including military style; throwing 100lb hay bales was nothing for me and training upwards of 5 horses a day was normal routine.  You see, one push up or one sit up would put pressure on my head and that was one of my injuries.  I had an injury from a horse accident along with a broken jaw and fractured ribs in my Thoracic area (yes they were fractured from behind; and three of them still go out ripping muscle every now and then when I enjoy some boxing).  

I am now jumping, doing push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, jumping rope, climbing on ladders, standing on a skateboard, all things that one can normally do but now doing these things; makes me happy!  Because I CAN do them!  So you see you can exercise, you can do it daily, you can eat right, you can make changes in your life that will bring you greatness!  I have an obligation to my workout schedule, without the two previous mentioned exercise routines I would be lost in the gym (the one where you have to pay a fee and drive too.)

Another thing about my injury that makes me happy?  I was able to take all the tests that pilots take.  Here's a description of one that I repeated often: I was strapped  (my head was bolted, we'll call it "in place" for visual purposes) into quite the 'Alice in Wonderland' large chair and spun up and down, round and round, this way and that way; at enormous G speed  in a small padded structure. And then instructed to put a red horizontal laser line straight with a pilot's stick in each hand only being able to manipulate my thumbs to accomplish this at times frustrating  task.  *And repeat for over 30 minutes; until my eyes felt like they were going to shake out of their sockets.*   even when  I couldn't get that 2 foot line straight, yes it was fun; I was smiling. Knowing I would be healed and these were just avenues to go down. A great experience for me to do; not fun all the time. But I truly enjoy my experiences and look for the brighter side of things.

 I figure the padding was for when the straps around my ankles, shins, lap, arms (upper & lower), wrists, pilot seat belt and head bolts came undone along with the computer mask flying off, the landing wasn't going to be all that hard.  Can you picture that?  Straps flying off, head bolts unscrewing, computer mask coming off, and I went flying through the air into black padding! BAM!!  That's just hysterical.  Please laugh here!  I am healed up now, and only sometimes can I not jump as much or as high; but I CAN jump and maintain balance! WooHoo!! (side note: I am the only non Active Duty Military person  that has been allowed in this program of recovery; which was a huge blessing.)  This makes me happy, because when you know what's wrong; you know what needs to be fixed then you simply take action and add believing!  It is just that simple for me. Take action, believe for healing and wammo! Healing!

So let's recap:

Why am I so happy?

~I choose a greater walk in life

~I'm a survivor and completely healed up

~I choose nutrition

~I choose to workout

~I choose to not live in the past and look forward always

~I choose to know that I will have 6 pack abs soon or a 4 pack soon and a 6 pack soon after that.. or is it.. a 2 pack? Well, I KNOW that I will have a pack of some kind of awesome abs!

There are many other things that make me happy but God, my kiddos, my Beachbody business,  my nutrition, my exercise, and quite simply my outlook sure has made it simpler. 

And thank you Beachbody and Carl Daikeler along with Jon Congdon for making me even more happy!  My outlook on life is great;  because of great trainers and programs like Tony Horton & P90x; and Chalene Johnson & TurboFire; and  because of Shakeology and Dr.Bill Wheeler.  And also because I have chosen a higher road of peace, simplicity, life, love, fitness, health and nutrition.  So all of these are avenues to keep me happy.  And being happy, makes me even more happy.  I am a better person for my kiddos, for my life, for my friends; and you know what? People want a piece of my happiness!  And I want to give it to them!  Paying it forward is normal, it is a way of life for me.  Laughing is joy and not a day goes by without it.  So I don't mind when people ask me why I'm always smiling, or tell me that I don't have to smile all the time.  I know I don't 'have to' smile but not smiling is just not who I am!  I Smile because I am truly happy! 

I write my story daily while not just watching life pass me by, but by jumping in with my whole being and smiling because happiness is never far away; it is within me and within you! 

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Drink Shakeology & workout with me! I'd love to be your motivator!

www.beachbodycoach.com/BLESSEDGIRL