I got a BRAVE tattoo on my left side this year because I wanted to be reminded that no matter what life throws at us, we get to choose how we handle it. I didn't say we get to choose what comes our way, but the response is all ours. And so I took the stance of bravery.
But being brave isn't just a response to something, it's about being proactive. It's fighting for something you believe in, it's about taking risks, and refusing to be confined by walls. And here's the thing... WE build up these walls ourselves. People don't confine us. We do. We have the choice to move forward or let things weigh us down. We decide who we will let in. We decide who we keep out and there is some value in that if it is filled with negativity. But we should never hide from the opportunity of living a life that we are destined for. And so we must be brave and start tearing the walls down. And it's going to be a battle, an internal one more than anything. But we can win it.
I got to hear Shaun T speak recently at a Beachbody event and he is someone who has suffered a lot in his life and could have just thrown in the towel multiple times. He reminded me that when struggles come our way, we have to push through it...not turn away. And I mean cut STRAIGHT through it. We have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable so we can truly be our best. And once that happens we can give our best to those most important in our life. And I have truly started doing that. And I've come to some profound realizations about myself...but that is for another blog.
I can tell you this. I think that we all want someone or something to save us. We will search to the end of the earth thinking that somehow it can fill a void for us and make us whole. But what must be found is ourself. We can find ourselves in a storm & hitting rock bottom...but we can also find ourselves in the sunlight and taking some time to let God speak to our hearts. But we have to stop and listen. And it takes bravery to take a good hard look at who we are and take action to change our mindset, habits, and lifestyle.
And so I am bravely living my truth now. I will not apologize for how I feel, but will seek forgiveness when I have hurt someone. I will speak from my heart and let those who I care about know at that moment. I will not wait. I will find true unconditional love and never settle for less because I do believe in fairy tales. Being brave does not mean you want to be on a journey alone, but it means having the right person by your side and a soft place for your heart to fall. Falling in love is brave. I will take risks with everything that pulls on my heart strings and I will show my girls that being brave doesn't always mean we are strong in every moment, but it does mean that we won't ever give up and will always look ahead to a new day and new beginning.
And so I leave you with one of my favorite songs and call your heart to be brave too. What other way is there to live? Find your truth, own it, and free your soul.
Xo,
Natalie Rene
You don't have to explain the path that you are on to anyone. Most likely people will try to talk you out of it anyways because they don't have the same vision as you or they don't understand your dreams. But when there is something deep inside of you that calls you to do something more, you have to own that calling.
So why do we settle in so many areas of our life? Work, life, love, dreams...it's because we are afraid to risk everything for more. What if we fail? What if doesn't work out? Instead why don't we ask ourselves, "What if I changed my life? What if there is something more awaiting beyond one choice that we make? What if we succeed?"
I was always an overachiever in most areas of my life, but then I hit some walls. Some were walls that I created myself and some happened by circumstance, but I didn't know how to tear them down. Early with my education, I planned to go to Law School, but I didn't do so well on the LSAT so I took some time off to decide if that was my dream. I could have still gone, but I realized I only still wanted to be a lawyer because I told everyone that I wanted to. I didn't really have that passion anymore. And so I didn't settle. And yes, I could have made a lot more money, but I always knew teaching was my passion.
Shortly after, I started working in restaurant management and then became pregnant with my first child. Then came marriage. But then I became lost. Life happened so quickly, I lost myself. I lost my identity as Natalie and settled with the fact that I as an individual would no longer exist. I became a history teacher, mom, and wife, but I was a shell of my former self. I was 50 pounds heavier, running ragged giving to others, and stopped feeling alive. I felt like I was only living for others. So after crying on the floor of my closet because of trying on 15 outfits that no longer fit, I decided to actually get fit. I had no idea how I was going to start again, but I wasn't going to settle. And the l started shedding not just my physical self...but my emotional baggage. And then a year later, my Dad passed suddenly. I remember crying on the floor of my closet again saying, "why him, all of all people why him?" I needed him the most. Deep down I knew that my marriage was going to be coming to an end too. And so with strength of God and my Dad, I left.
We often stay in relationships because we think of it as an investment or a decision we made that we have to fulfill. As a Christian, I didn't think that I was doing the right thing by breaking up my family. But I was settling for an environment that did not provide a loving environment for my children or a model of what unconditional love truly is. And I know that God would not want that for me and my girls. I was factoring how many more years I could settle, but then I woke up one day decided to leave. I wanted my children to know unconditional love by providing the best environment for their growth. And it may have come as a surprise to some, but the old...rather new Natalie began to reemerge.
And now I am at a crossroad with my career. I have been a teacher for 8 amazing years and a Beachbody coach for almost 3. I have worked two jobs since starting to teach to offset student loans, debt, and financial turmoil. And both careers fill my heart. But I know I don't want to settle for working for someone else my whole life. I want to live a life by my design, a schedule that I create, and I have some business dreams filling my soul. And so I will not settle to be a part of someone else's dream or their plan. I will create my own. It may not happen overnight...but it will happen. And that's my truth. And I own it. And I will continue to share it to inspire others to find theirs.
Xo,
Natalie
When I recently read this passage, it spoke to me. It seemed like last year was about trials and tribulations so the Book of James spoke to my heart...but then I came across Philippians and I was able to finally breathe. Maybe it's because my Dad's name is in it. I do believe that we are meant to encounter certain messages, moments, and people & they will forever change us, if we allow them in our heart. This passage talks about being content in every moment and I don't know about you, but this is my biggest battle.
We plan, we create to-do lists, we set goals, but when do we exhale? When do we fully live in the moment and find that we are exactly where we are meant to be? I spent the last year searching, questioning, and running. I traveled a lot...to Europe, Alaska, Nashville, camping, hiking...but the answer wasn't out there, the answer can only be found from within. And being content comes from being ok where we are at...with our imperfections, our past, and being ready for something more.
But you see...we had to take that journey, we had to experience pain, loss, misfortune, and the trials or how would we ever truly appreciate a sunrise, sunset, or just moments for what they are.
But it's not enough to just say this out loud, we have to embody it, embrace it, and wrap our hearts and mind around it. My center comes from my faith. There is no way God would bring us through the trials without something miraculous waiting on the other side. But are we looking up? I know for a long time I was just making it. Just surviving. But I have shed that. So why am I talking about this on a health and fitness blog? Because it is all connected...mind, body, and spirit. We have to first be content within our spirit and then everything else will fall into place.
And so this is another part of my truth. And maybe it's a part of yours too. May you find a way to be content no matter what you have faced. May you find peace. And just know that you are not alone in the battle. But you can come out victorious. And that's the beauty of this thing called life.
Truly,
Natalie Rene