motivation

Motivation; it comes from many resources.  It can come from other people such as our idols and family members, it can come from music or our favorite quotes, or it can come from within.  Those little voices that live inside each and everyone of us play a major role in how we act and who we become.  Those voices either push us forward and help us achieve our goals or they are the only things that stand in our way; the only things that never allow us to reach our goals.  Sometimes they doubt our abilities and they hinder our success by telling us we could have done better.  I spent 7 years listening to those voices telling me I was a failure, that I wasn't good enough, that I should just give up.  It took me a long time to realize that I had the power to control those voices and that I could change the way I thought about myself and the world around me.  And guess what, YOU can too.

Don't get me wrong, I still have those days when I don't like what I see in the mirror, when I am disappointed in myself, and when I just wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep forever.  The difference between the old me and the new me is how I handle those situations now.  When I used to have a bad day I would let it ruin my entire WEEK.  Now, I try to focus on the good things that happened that day and all the things I am grateful for (my family, my friends, my health, my job).  If I have a crappy workout one day I shake it off, refocus, and tell myself that I will do better tomorrow.  I push through the bad because I know that the good is just around the corner.

I've had a lot of people ask me, "what motivates you?", and to be honest the first thing that comes to mind is music.  To me music is not just background noise or a filler instead of awkward silence.  To me every lyric and every note was created for a certain reason.  Music has been a part of my life ever since I started dancing at the age of 3.  I'm not sure what it is exactly about music that gets my blood pumping, my endorphin's soaring, and my mind clear, but whatever it is, I can't live without it.  I am also intrinsically motivated.  I love to push and challenge myself everyday, I love dripping with sweat at the end of a workout, I crave that excitement before you lift, and I'm addicted to that feeling of accomplishment after a tough workout.  I am BEYOND motivated to accomplish my goals...I'm DETERMINED.  Even on the days when I'm exhausted and stressed out, I drag my butt out of bed because I know that no one else is going to do it for me.

To achieve your goals I believe you need to have 3 ingredients; motivation, consistency, and passion.  The motivation is what gets you to the gym everyday, the consistency is what gets you the results, and the passion is what creeps across your face into a smile because you know you did a good job.  There is no "easy way out" and there is no "magic pill".  YOU have to put in the work, YOU have to push through the pain, and YOU have to want to achieve your goals.  It may be a challenge at first and I know you'll think about quitting numerous times because I have too, but I promise it will be worth it.  So even when you're tired, frustrated, stressed out, and angry; NEVER give up.  Giving up won't speed up the process.  YOU can do it, so tell those negative voices to shut up, strap on those gym sneakers, and lift on!