Aint It Grand!

It's finally happened! I ran into someone I haven't seen since the beginning of the summer and she said, "Holy shit Michelle - you look great. Have you been working out?" I kinda wanted to burst a little bit. I mean, I know I'm working hard and surely those efforts are yielding results, but sometimes what we really need is a wee bit of affirmation from someone else, someone who hasn't seen us in a while.

I told her I was enrolled in the ten week challenge at Farrell's. I recognized the look on her face; I used to have it. Fear mixed with horror. I think she was slightly surprised I was still alive. Frankly, so am I. She asked me if it was as intense as she's heard and if I felt like dying on a daily basis. I told her it's pretty much as tough as she's heard and that my desire to lay down and die ended after about week two. She asked if it was worth it - a thousand times YES.

Speaking of a thousand, what many might not know is that at the end of the ten weeks, there's a male and female $1000 winner. The man and woman who has the most dramatic transformation wins a nifty little prize to pocket. I was recently asked if I'm gunning for the prize. Here's the thing - by about week #3, I completely forgot that there was such a prize. Would it be nice? Sure, I guess.

But I've won. I mean, the ten weeks aren't even over and I already know I've won. I feel incredible. I'm focused. I'm energized. I'm stronger. I'm happier. It's impossible to put a price tag on any of that.

I think that's what many of us realize during this journey. We are gaining back ourselves, or maybe for some, we're realizing who we are for the first time. We're already winners!

I'm just about finishing up week #7. I've made it to every class (this I'm immensely proud of) and I'm upping my game each week. If I think I can't, I push through. That's going to take me well beyond the gym. I'm pushing through life, it's not pushing me.

Would I like to win the money? Well, hell - who wouldn't? I know this - the local retailers would be thrilled because I'd hit the department stores and get this new body a wardrobe it deserves! It's just not a driving factor; it's not what motivate me.

I motivate me. And I'm worth a million bucks.

We all are!