The blustery, cooler weather that has taken over this first week of Spring has given me the opportunity to work out indoors. Last week, I spent a good amount of time outside and I even wore a tank top since it was so warm by March standards. This week I’ve had more time to go to the gym. Usually, I don’t always have much time to spend there. Sometimes I only have 30 minutes. Other times, I have an hour. Making the effort to emerge from my comfort zone and drive there is a victory itself. My Apple Watch keeps track of my progress and I always have it with me for every workout.
I’ve made more progress this year in my fitness game than I have in the 10+ years I’ve belonged to Planet Purple. When you look at the last five years, I’ve really stepped up my game in 2024. I didn’t even go to the gym from 2020 to 2022 and started to turn a corner year early in 2023 before other commitments took me away. I walked a lot during the warmer months and, to be fair, I should have made exercise a top priority after my health scare in March of 2021. One of the days, I’ll take the time to do a hydromassage on one of the chairs. When I’m home, I’d like to take the time to practice yoga or pilates, or find a spot where I’m not disturbing anybody and dance. I’m kind of limited here, so I’ll try to teach myself when I can.
While I’ve begun to put my effort into my fitness game, I’m doing the same in my fashion journey as well. I’ve started to ditch the sweatpants more often and have begun planning my summer wardrobe. Just last week at my Toastmasters meeting, I wore my cheetah cardigan and didn’t even feel the need to hide it. Did I feel confident? Yes. Did I need others’ approval? No. That shows how far I’ve come in the last few years. I’ve taken two steps ahead and three steps back. Did I want to give up? Yes, on multiple occasions.
At Saturday’s Division Contest, I got some encouragement from some of my friends in Johnstown Toastmasters. One of them encouraged me not to walk away from my fashion journey (in addition to Toastmasters and my blog). Is it frustrating when I feel like I don’t get approval? Absolutely. Do I get discouraged? Every day, it seems like, but I keep moving on.
When I feel like I want to give up, I tell myself to remember why I started doing this in the first place. If you know me, you know this has been a thing for me since I was in middle school. I’ve come to terms with a lot of things I’ve done in my past. It’s not a crime but rather, the way I’ve reacted. But I’ve learned not to think too much about things and it’s benefited me in the long run. While the attention from others is important, it’s more important to love yourself.
The end result is that I’m happier with myself than I’ve been in a long time.
Stylish 🍒 