Hello internet! This blog post couldn’t have come at a better time for me. For starters, it’s my birthday today, yay! It’s also been a hard few months (make that years) personally. From losing my stepmom to trying to come to terms that another baby is just not going to happen for us, plus dealing with substance abuse from a loved one, there have been times where the mere act of breathing has been a struggle. But then, I try and remember that I have a daughter and husband who adore me, friends who have become sisters, and an amazing group of scrapfriends who keep me sane, even when they don’t know they’re doing it. The mere act of belonging to a community, of creating a page even when it doesn’t have a deeper meaning and it’s more for the sake of creating something pretty out of the chaos around me has been a life saver.

My daughter used a blankie ever since she was born, and REFUSED to go to sleep without it. We bought several identical ones but (you guessed it) she always knew which one was THE blankie (called puffie) and drama would ensue if it was in the wash. Fast forward a few years, and one day she walks into my room, hands me the blankie, and says, “mom, I don’t need it anymore”. Turns around, walks out ad never looks back. That phrase has stuck with me and has helped me get rid of people who were toxic to me, habits that were not the best or healthiest, even those extra pounds. It has become my mantra of sorts, and while I have failed at some things, I think that that blankie has given me the strength to be a better person.

Another thing that has helped me dig deep within myself to find the strength to face another day, and please don’t laugh, is exercising. I’m not much of a gym goer, but I forced myself to sign up for TRX and mixed strength training. I also do a couple workouts at home and my coaches have motivated me to keep moving, keep getting better, faster, stronger. I’m one of those people who actually believe the TV coach is talking directly to me, and that has helped me tremendously since I’m the kind of person who loves to procrastinate most of the times. I know a lot of people find this kind of training ineffective or boring, but it has worked for me.

So tell me what is your secret strength? I want to hear all about it in the challenge I have prepared for you! Can’t wait to see what you come up with!