...pOwERfuL bEyOnD mEaSuRe...

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
 but that we are powerful beyond measure.
 It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
 We ask ourselves, '
Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?' 
Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God.
 Your playing small does not serve the world.
 There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
 so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
 We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. 
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
 And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people
 permission to do the same. 
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others."

-Marianne Wiliamson

I sat on my bed with a sandwich one Saturday afternoon. I turned on the TV and surfed for something to watch while I ate. I couldn't find anything so I settled in and left the channel on a movie that I really had no interest in..."Akeelah And The Bee". As I watched...surprised that it was better than I expected...I heard a part of this quote. I put down my sandwich and immediately searched online for the quote in it's entirety. It was like a switch flipped in my head. I pride myself on the fact that I tend to see the world a bit differently than most other people...but this was something truly different...life changing...thought provoking.

"Am I really inadequate or do I pretend to be? Do I pretend because I am afraid? Am I afraid of my own greatness? "

I'm not sure that I know the answers to these questions. I do know that I have lived my life worrying about what others think...worrying that I won't measure up. What I didn't realize until I heard those words, was that I have not only lived in fear of not measuring up...but I have lived in fear of achieving too much. I'm afraid I won't be good enough and people won't like me...and I'm afraid I'll be too good and people will hate me for it. I'm not sure how to change the way I feel...how to harness the power that I have within...but I guess recognizing that it is there...is the first step towards truly becoming "powerful beyond measure".

Be proud of who you are. Don't be afraid or downplay your abilities. Find your power and be strong.

...iT's tiMe tO dRoP tHe aNcHoR...

I'm not a person with alot of collections in my house. I don't collect figurines or snow globes or anything like that...it's never been "my thing". The only thing I really collect is quotes. Whether they are poems...or movie lines...or quotes from famous people...whenever I come across a quote that is inspirational to me...I write it down and add it to my "list". I've even been known to pull out my cell phone in a movie to type in a quote or a line that I like...one that is worthy of my collection. Yeah, it's weird, but it's what I do.

In the movie "The Guardian", there was a line that really had an impact on me the first time I heard it. Kevin Costner's character, Ben Randall, is teaching the young men that are in the Coast Guard about how to be good "rescue swimmers" and this is one of the things he tells them: "There will come a time when you might have to decide who lives and dies out there. It's a terrible responsibility but it's one you will have to make as a rescue swimmer. The bigger reality is, its also something you are going to have to live with as a human being. There will come a time when you will have to say no. The most important person to keep alive is yourself."

I've been thinking about letting go...letting go of the things in my life that are drowning me...the things that will kill me in a sense if I continue to hold on to them. "The most important person to keep alive is yourself." I heard that line in my mind as I thought about some of the people and things that are like an anchor around me. Sometimes it's easy to let go...and sometimes it takes the feeling of struggling to tread water before I realize that I have a decision to make.I don't let go or give up easily...especially when it comes to the people that I care about...but there's only so long that a person...even a strong person...can tread water before they drown. I can't control other people. I've learned that the hard way. The only thing I can control is myself. I have to make my own decisions. I have to know when to walk away from people and things that keep me from reaching my goals and weaken me. I have to know when it's time to save MYSELF...because the fact is that these so called anchors in my life that are dragging me down are not chained to me...I am holding onto them...I have to let go...I have to drop the anchor or I will drown. It's hard to break bad habits. It's hard to give things up that give you temporary comfort. It's hard to walk away before you're ready and it hurts to mourn someone that is still alive. But sometimes, we have to choose ourselves over others in order to be strong ourselves and truly live.

...sEcOnDs...

Loud, angry music is blaring. Between songs there is a melody of grunts and groans...heavy breathing...and intermittent cursing. I'm holding a stopwatch...counting down...saying "Hold on! You can do it! Only 30 more seconds! You can do ANYTHING for 30 seconds!!!" I get a few desperate and angry looks and then all of the sudden...it's over. The seconds have passed and the stopwatch is stopped. The hard work and pain are over. The struggle and the yells are replaced with sighs of relief and smiles. This is a common occurrence in the gym I work at. I see it almost everyday. Almost everything we do is about time...about seeing who can go further faster...or who can reach the destination first. Every minute...every second counts.
Sometimes it's painful. I know this because I'm not always on that side of the stopwatch. Many times, I am the one suffering...struggling to finish right alongside everyone else. Somedays are more difficult than others. Some days the physical pain is enticing...addictive...almost pleasurable. I enjoy the fight and I feel as though I have "won". Other days it feels like torture...my mind becomes consumed with the fear of not being first...feelings of frustration distract me. The pain can overwhelm me if I allow it to...but no matter what...I don't stop. Giving up is not an option for me in the gym. I tell myself what I tell everyone else..."I can do this. It's only 30 more seconds. Hold on."There are 86,400 seconds in a day...and everyday...those seconds are filled with many different emotions. Some are filled with laughter. Some are filled with peace. Some are filled with anger...some with disappointment and regret. Some are filled with anticipation and others with happiness. And some...are filled with pain...the worst kind of pain there is...the pain of the heart. This pain is both physical and emotional. It clouds my mind and makes me forget that I am strong. It leaves me gasping for air...breathless...with a lump in my throat. It makes me want to clutch my chest because the stabbing pain in my heart feels so real...so tangible.I have suffered physical pain in the gym that I never thought I could withstand and I have learned to deal with it...to live in it so to speak...to use it to push myself further...but when it comes to emotional pain...sometimes I am weak. And when I have days...where the seconds of pain seem to outnumber the seconds of peace and happiness...I don't want to "live in it". I don't want to push myself to be better...stronger. I want to quit...stop the watch...stick my middle finger in the air and run away. The hard part is that I can't run away from myself...or my thoughts...or memories.So as bad as I want to...I will never give up...I will never stop. I will do what I tell the brave people that I work with everyday to do. I will hold on...30 seconds at a time...again and again...until finally the pain subsides...and I find myself breathing a sigh of relief...smiling...and enjoying seconds filled with something more pleasant than pain.







*The pics above are from the "aftermath" of "Fran" one day at the gym.
"Fran":
21-15-9 for time
Thrusters (95M/65W)
Pull Ups

...i hEaRt CrOssFiT...

Yesterday, I wore this tank. It's one of my favorites. I wasn't feeling well but I was scheduled to work. When I am scheduled to cover classes at our Crossfit gym, I HAVE to be there because it means my friend Jared that owns the gym is on duty at the fire station. There's no one else...and that's okay...because I love my job and the people I work with.

After I made it through the day and got home from the last class, I went in my closet to change and take off my workout clothes and put on some jeans so we could go eat some dinner. As I slipped off this tank and threw it in my laundry hamper, I thought about just how true that little phrase is to me and why.People wear "I heart" shirts all the time. One of the most well known would have to be "I heart NY". Some people may wear those shirts and really mean it, but for most, it's just a fashion statement or a cute saying. I would venture to say that most everybody that wears an "I heart CF" shirt...means it. I know I do, and I'll tell you why.For me, it's not just about the organization itself. It's so much more that I love. I love that I can train like an athlete and that I can coach and train everyday people like athletes. I love that the workouts have pushed me past my self imposed limitations...time and time and time again. I love that it never gets easier. It does not matter how long I have done Crossfit or how good of shape I'm in...if I give everything I have...it is always hard and there's always room for improvement. I love having people sweating and suffering alongside me during workouts, and laid out on the floor next to me when we are done. I love how strong and fit I feel...at FORTY ONE! I love that I have had the opportunity to learn from and train with great coaches at certification classes including Dave Castro, Dutch Lowy, Adrian Bozman, Brian MacKenzie, Mark Rippetoe, Shane Hamman, Mike Burgener, and many others. I love the friends I have made at certifications and on Facebook and through the Crossfit community in my area, but the thing I love the most is my Crossfit family.I get to associate and train and work with a small group of people that are more than clients or even friends to me. They are like family. I know that in a pinch, I could rely on any one of the people at my gym. They push me and encourage me and I do the same for them. I hear them cheer each other on during workouts and have even seen people that are sweaty and exhausted...finished with their own workout...go out and do lunges or run beside another person that may be struggling to finish. They tease me all the time and we joke around, but at the end of the day I KNOW they have my back. THESE are the reasons that I truly "heart" Crossfit.

I think this is an amazing video by Crossfit by Overload! To learn more about Crossfit, visit the mainsite by clicking HERE!

...BiRd'S eYe ViEw...

"It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is much better at the top." ~ Arnold Bennett

They say "it's lonely at the top". At times I think that's true. I certainly do not consider myself to be THE BEST at anything or feel as though I'm better than anyone else, but at times I feel alone; separated. I don't feel as though I separate myself though. I feel like people push me away or put me up on a pedestal or place me in a different category.

I first noticed it when I lost weight and was in the PTA. A lot of the women avoided me...and I had to hear from my neighbor how they were all talking about me. I saw the looks on their faces when I would say I couldn't work the Book Fair at 9AM because that's when I worked out with my trainer. I felt different...like an alien...and lots of times I was lonely. Sometimes people wanna question and judge me. I've been told in the past that I have a problem...that I workout too hard...too much...that it is wrong for me to take that time out to focus solely on me.When I complained about this to my friend David several months ago, he said, "Well, Marsha...it's lonely at the top." For a split second, I wondered if I have made a mistake. Maybe I shouldn't treat my workouts like a job. Maybe I shouldn't try to constantly be better. Maybe it would be easier to be a little more like everyone else. As I said, that lasted a SPLIT SECOND!

I don't regret a thing. Actually, I take it back. I do regret one thing. I regret not doing it sooner. I know I'm not alone in this. I know there are many women that do Crossfit that feel the same way at times. People that are unhappy with themselves tend to look at the accomplishments of others as their own loss rather than someone else's gain. It probably doesn't help that I take away the excuses. People can't say "But, I'm over 40." because I am too. People can't say, "I'm busy." or "I eat out a lot." because I'm busy and I eat out almost every day. People can't say "I have had kids." or "I have bad genes." because I have 3 kids and come from a long line of people that struggle with their weight.

What I wanna say here is twofold. First, if you wanna change...CHANGE. If I can do it, ANYONE can do it. Don't look for excuses or feel like you are not good enough. Get up and start doing things different. If you want to be in shape, BEHAVE like a person that is in shape and soon you will become that. Second, if you have made changes and feel isolated or like people don't understand, don't let it slow you down or make you feel bad. You keep doing what you are doing to be fit and healthy. Don't become bitter and angry. Educate people. Make them like you. Sometimes for me, it has just been an issue of sticking around and giving people the chance to know me beyond what's on the outside.It may be lonely at the top and the climb may be difficult, but there is no where else I'd rather be than sitting on top of the mountain with a bird's eye view of the world at my feet!

..."eAt LiKe a cAvEmAn"...

Here's a great little spot on the Paleo diet. I don't personally follow it, but I have MANY friends and know people at my gym that do and have had great results...both in performance and with weight loss. I was excited to see a story that included Robb Wolf and featured Crossfit gyms, but on a selfish note...I was mostly excited to see a woman wearing a pink "Strong is the new skinny" tank!!! (4:43) Give it a watch and if you are interested in this diet or getting the tank, I will put links below where you can find more info!

Practical Paleolithic (great resource from my friend Adam Farrah)

Robb Wolf (author of "The Paleo Solution")

"Strong is the new skinny" (get the tank here)

...LeArN tO aDaPt...

Mark Twight says, "THE MIND AND BODY ADAPT TO BOTH COMFORT AND DEPRIVATION...". I think that's true of every aspect of human life. We are made to survive and adapt. I've thought a lot about this as I've been facing some changes and adapting to a bit of a different life in some ways myself recently.

I remember a time in my life when I could not even accept a compliment. If someone said, "You are beautiful." I would laugh and say "No, I'm not!" It was a vicious cycle. I was in need of reassurance, but when I got it I discounted it. You do that enough and soon people stop wanting to compliment or reassure you.I started to break this cycle when I began working out and training with my friend, but it was not easy. In the beginning of my relationship with Wes, it was hard for me to adapt to positive reinforcement and encouragement..."comfort" if you will. I always thought it was a joke or a lie. It was almost like I felt I was being made fun of or patronized. It wasn't until I learned to trust and I adapted to the mindset of "I CAN!" and "I AM!" that I started to believe and appreciate the encouragement and compliments that I received. I stopped discounting them and started allowing them to build me up.

The "Strong is the new skinny" movement has began to really grow and people have become more vocal in their compliments towards each other and in sharing their accomplishments. Reading all the stories of transformation and seeing everyone there build each other up, makes me so glad to be associated with such an amazing group of people. I truly believe that the encouragement we give each other can help us adapt and become the best version of ourselves. If there is anyone struggling...anyone that wants to change but is afraid...anyone that is working hard but hasn't yet seen the results they are looking for...anyone that doubts their abilities and chooses to believe the "bad" rather than the "good"...I have something that I want to say that I mean from the bottom of my heart.

"You can do it! Everyone has the strength within to build the strength that people see on the outside. Believe in yourself. Learn to accept compliments and don't be ashamed to share your victories!"

I truly believe that because we have the ability to adapt to our environment that we should be careful about what kind of environment we put ourselves in. We should surround ourselves with people that build us up...not those that drag us down. We should choose friends that help us be the best we can be...not those that tell us we can't. We are going to adapt no matter what, so why not adapt to people and things that help make us great?!?

...nO sHoRtCuTs...

I thought I'd share a few quick thoughts as I relax from my usual go go go way of life on this Sunday afternoon...

It seems to me that everyone these days wants a shortcut. We are all busy. Life moves in fast forward. We've become a society used to getting what we want now...of instant gratification. It seems there's endless gadgets and diets and pills that guarantee a quick fix to the same problem...how to get the perfect body we all want without having to change or do things we don't want to.I guess it's always been this way to some extent.

I found this picture above and I had to laugh. When I was growing up, my Mom had one of these contraptions in her dressing room. The idea was that you stood there with this strap across your hips/butt and let it violently shake you into shape. You didn't move a muscle or do a thing. You just stood there and let it shake you. I remember once walking in and seeing my Mom eating a cupcake while she stood there shaking. Sometimes I would use it myself too. If you want the truth, it didn't do a thing except make me feel motion sick and I feel certain that it did not shake away the calories my Mom consumed as she ate her cupcake that day.

People ask me all the time. "What's your secret?" It's funny to me because it is so complex, yet so simple at the same time. So, here's the secret (that's really not a secret):

( me doing a 1RM Deadlift of 245lbs...I went on to hit 260 a month or so after)

IF YOU WANT TO BE HEALTHY AND FIT AND STRONG, YOU NEED TO MOVE YOUR BODY AND WORK YOUR MUSCLES. YOU NEED TO EAT MORE OF THE GOOD STUFF AND LESS OF THE BAD STUFF. YOU HAVE TO COMMIT TO IT AND MAKE IT A WAY OF LIFE. THERE IS NO QUICK FIX, AND THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS. IT TAKES COMMITMENT AND GOOD CHOICES. IT TAKES DETERMINATION AND SWEAT AND HARD WORK. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, NOTHING OR NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR YOU. ONLY YOU CAN DO IT. GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE IN THE GYM AND LEAVE IT ALL ON THE FLOOR WHEN YOU'RE DONE!

Work hard and get strong!

I loved to read the Sunday comic strips from the paper each week when I was younger. Here's a couple more funny cartoons that go right along with this!

...eNjOy tHe RiDe...

I get motion sickness really easily, so I don't frequent amusement parks much. I do however go to the water park with my kids ever so often in the summer and will ride the rides there with them. One thing that I always find interesting is that whether I am at an amusement park or a water park...it doesn't matter the type or length of roller coaster/ride I'm on, there's one thing in common. It's always a slow ride going up and a fast fall going down. Different people react differently. For some, the ascent is filed with trepidation and fear. For others, it is anticipation and excitement. Some scream or close their eyes on the way down. Others throw their hands in the air and laugh. When the ride is over, some can't wait to do it again...while others walk away vowing to never do that again.This reminds me a lot of life in general, but also of progression in the gym. I just said the other day, "It's funny how long it takes to build yourself up where you want to be and how fast you lose it if you stop working hard." I'm living that now. I am not out of shape by any stretch of the imagination. I can still hold my own in the gym, but I'm not where I want to be or feel I once was. There are many reasons for this. I could blame it on health issues or losing people close to me. I could say that it all started with friends that I let drag me down, but really...in the end...I made the choices to skip days, or not go as long, or eat fast food in the middle of the night with friends when we were out. I take full responsibility.

So I started trying to get it back, but my impatience and fear got the best of me. I was like those people that fear the trip up to the top of the highest hill on the roller coaster. I wanted to close my eyes as I went further and further down...to pretend it wasn't happening. It would've been easy to walk away and never go back because I didn't want to face the unknown or deal with the anticipation of what might or might not lie on the other side. All that did, was slow my progress. I made hasty decisions and kept changing "the ride" so to speak. It's hard to reach the top when you keep starting over.This writing was very much for myself, but it is also for anyone that has fear or wants to give up. STOP IT. Stop being afraid. Stop telling yourself you can't make it. If you want to run further, faster...then get your butt outside or on a treadmill and push yourself. Run a little longer than you want. Run a little faster than you thought possible. Learn to be okay with being uncomfortable. If you want to do a pullup...go and try to do a pullup...not once or 100 times. Do it until you get one...and you WILL get one if you keep trying. It took me 2 years to get pullups! What if I had given up at a year? So what if your hands hurt or your ego is bruised. It was all for nothing if you quit.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to just embrace everything that goes along with change. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm on the way up with my eyes open and my arms in the air. I'm trying to look forward to longer workouts with nervous EXCITEMENT rather than dreading and fearing what will happen. I'm trying to laugh and enjoy the process, even when the fear takes my breath away. But mostly, I've decided to stop running away and get right back in line...to ride over and over and over again until I get where I want to go. This "ride" CAN BE exhilarating if I let it be.

~Marsha

*Today's workout for anyone interested:

10 Ring Rows (with feet on a low box)

10 Jumping Lunges (each leg/20 total)

10 Knees to Elbows

10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (55 lbs)

10 Burpee Box Jumps (22 in box)

7 Rounds for time (33:18)

Followed by 30 minute of cardio of choice

...mUscLeS wOrK miRacLeS...

I believe in miracles. Miracles come in all shapes and sizes and they manifest themselves in many different ways. Some miracles save a person's life...or help the blind see. Some miracles simply make life a little easier...and some rid the body and mind of the sickness inside. Some miracles fix problems that once seemed unfixable...and some make things that seemed impossible happen before our eyes...the same eyes that once could not see.

I've experienced a few miracles in my life. I consider my three children amongst the best of those. They are not little anymore so I don't hold them like I did when they were small...especially not my oldest. She's 15. Need I say more? So last night...as I cradled her in my arms and literally held her as she cried...my heart broke for her but I was also grateful that I had the physical strength to hold someone that is almost my same size.The crazy part was that she didn't pull away after a few moments. She melted into my arms and just let me love her. At one point, as I talked to her and felt her wet tears on my shoulder, she said, "You feel so strong. Thanks Mom. I needed that." A little stunned, I thought, "Wow...this is truly a miracle." Savy normally acts like she doesn't need me, but tonight she did need me...and she admitted it...and I was able to give her what she needed...strong shoulders to cry on, strong arms to hold her up with, and the mental strength to hold it together and let it be about HER even though I wanted to cry myself.

I have a shirt that says "Muscles work miracles" and I believe that they do. Actually, I know they do, because my life has changed significantly over the years as I've spent time in the gym becoming strong. MY muscles have saved my life in a sense. Before I became strong, I was not living. In a sense, I was dead inside...merely existing. My muscles healed me. My profound sadness and depression went away. Where I was once hopeless...blind in a sense, I now see endless possibility. My muscles have transformed my body and given me a mental toughness and a confidence that was not there before.Last night I witnessed yet another miracle thanks to my muscles. My muscles gave me the strength and ability to help heal my daughter's broken heart...to hold her up when she was too weak to stand on her own. Thankful does not even begin to describe the way I felt as she wiped her tears, thanked me, and stood to walk away. Muscles make us look good, but they can also serve a far greater purpose. Muscles CAN work miracles.

~Marsha

...if you want a "Muscles work miracles" tank...go to www.strongisthenewskinny.spreadshirt.com

...iF yOu bUiLd iT, tHeY wiLL cOmE...

This morning I went in to the gym to cover the 9AM class. Anyone that knows me, knows that I talk...A LOT...sometimes too much. Not much shuts me up, and when I am very quiet...it's a clue that something is wrong. So in my usually chatty way, I was talking with the two people that were in there training. I was saying how I'm sore, because I started a new program and yesterday was a "heavy lifting day" of Back Squats, Press, and Power Cleans. They asked a few questions about what I'm doing and I told them what my plan is. I also explained that I am doing things differently. Yes, I have yet another NEW plan...different from the last new plan...but the thing that is MOST different, is that I am NOT changing it again!
I was telling them that I was going to treat MYSELF more like I would treat a client that I am training, because so many times I do things that I would never tell them to do. I was also telling them...but really reminding MYSELF...that it takes time to SEE results and that just because you work hard for 3 or 4 weeks and don't magically transform into something else, it doesn't mean what you're doing isn't working or won't work in the future. It takes time.
I thought about this as I ran after wards. I thought about what my Mom and Dad always told us growing up..."Your body is a temple. Take care of it accordingly."...and it made me think that building a house is similar to building muscle and gaining strength in some ways. Houses are not built in a day. Architects draw up plans. Many different contractors come and do their job one by one. The pipes are layed and the foundation is poured. Once it is ready, the frame starts to go up. Piece by piece...day by day...a patch of dirt becomes a home with a yard...but it doesn't happen overnight or in a few weeks. It takes months of hard work. You don't give up and start over after a few weeks because a perfect house does not suddenly appear. If so, you'd never have a finished house.
Everyone knows the famous line from "Field Of Dreams"..."If you build it, they will come." People didn't show up to the farm the first day they started building. I remember when we were building our house. At times, it seemed that things progressed so fast, and other times it was a painfully slow process. Eventually, we got what we wanted...a finished home that we could live in and enjoy. And it is the same in the gym. Sometimes we see quick or major progress...and sometimes we suffer setbacks or don't see results as quickly as we would like...but the only way to get the body you want, is to keep working. You have to create a solid foundation and build up from there. If you work hard and don't give up...if you build upon what you have...eventually, the muscles...the results...will come.

~Marsha

...nO cRyBaBiEs aLLoWeD...

"Chicken pox!!!"...that's the text I got from my almost 12 year old daughter this morning. Mystery solved. We now know what the crazy rash she's had for 2 days is...

I've had chicken pox. I'm not scared of getting them, but that was NOT what I wanted to hear. My child having chicken pox is not enough to bring me to tears, but it was just another drop in the bucket...the drop that made the bucket overflow. I crumbled and called my lil sis. I sobbed and told her all the things that are bothering me. She listened and comforted me. I whined and cried for quite some time.

In my defense, I have had...and still have...some seriously upsetting things going on in my life...things that won't be resolved in a day or week or even a month...things that can take even the strongest person down. I don't cry all that often, but the past 2 weeks it seems that's what I've spent a good part of my life doing. This is something I hate to admit because it screams weakness rather than strength to me.Everything I write...all the feelings that I share...are real. They are personal. They are mine. I was embarrassed to share this because as I said before, it doesn't seem very strong or motivational. And after all, that IS the point of this blog...right? However...as I thought more about it...I realized through my tears that I'm stronger than I think I am. It takes strength to admit you need help. It takes strength to let people see your weaknesses. And it takes strength to wipe away the tears and DO something.

There's a quote that says, "If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have time to do something about it." Whether it's the disappointment of failure in the gym or a sick child or a broken relationship or an injury or the loss of a job...whether it's in or out of the gym...whether it's in your control to "fix" or not...we can always do SOMETHING about the things that weigh us down...because at the very least, we can do something about our reaction to those things.

I've always found it interesting to watch people go for their one rep max in the gym. I think the way they react says a lot about them. Some people think that a weight is too hard for them, when I can clearly see it is not hard at all. Some people give up the second the weight stops moving, while others hold on just a few more seconds and fight to get the weight up. It's not that one person is always stronger than the other. It's about not giving up when the going gets tough. It's about finding the resolve from within to push back against the things that push against you. It's about knowing that if you hold on for just another minute and take a minute to rest and breath...you WILL make through. It's also about being humble enough to ask for help when your load becomes to much to bear.

It's time to stop crying. It's time to keep pushing when I'd rather just let go. It's time to rely on the people that are right here...ready and willing to help me when it gets too heavy. I'm ready to stop being a crybaby and start doing something.

~Marsha