On Being A Tough Chik

If you haven't figured it out by now, I used to have really crappy self esteem.  Loving and being happy with myself is something I struggle with daily.  Even though  I **KNOW** I am fit and do things many people can't/won't/don't, I sometimes continue to compare myself to the "ideal".  Thinking well of myself continues to be a growth process.

Thanks to my wonderful friend Amanda (AKA TooTallFritz), I found Team Tough Chik. 

THIS IS WHAT TOUGH LOOKS LIKE.  Yes!  Talk about major positive mantra.  Because I call myself a lot of things, good and bad, but I KNOW I am tough.  I sometimes get frustrated because I feel like I have to work harder than everyone else to get to the same place, and sometimes the results (really, my weight) doesn't reflect the effort.  But Tough?  Heck ya!

2012 has been a breakthrough year for me--Joining Team Tough Chik, racing 4 sprint triathlons in as many months and PLACING for the first time in my life, my first half marathon . . . just in general realizing there is nothing I can't do. That I am fit and strong.  Even though the number on the scale says I am obese and "at risk".  Finally releasing a lot of the anger associated with the fat that acted as a defense mechanism growing up.  I am not perfect.  But I will not let the scale define me.   I do not fit a mold.  I may not look like an endurance athlete, but I am. And none of that wouldn't have happened if having my little girl hadn't spurred me to make a change in my life.

We each have a unique story that makes us who we are.  Yours makes you awesome.  Take your life, and if you aren't happy with something, CHANGE IT. We do not all come from a single mold, so we all have our own stories, lives and paths.  It doesn't mean we can't achieve the secret dreams we have for ourselves. 

Being a Tough Chik means so much to me.  Beyond the great people I've met, it also forces me to reflect on what TOUGH really is.
 
TOUGH is pushing yourself
TOUGH is also knowing when to listen to your body
TOUGH is feeding yourself right so you can do amazing things
TOUGH is never compromising your values
TOUGH is asking for help when you need it
TOUGH is making the conscious decision to see the beauty in your life 
TOUGH is believing .  . . IN YOURSELF.