I hope when people think of me they imagine me as happy as I look and was in this pic.

I truly try to keep a positive energy around me always.

On days where I walk around with a smile all by myself and notice it, I actually feel so good.

Not embarrassed to be smiling by myself or worried about how others may perceive it, but grateful that I have a smile on my face at all and that it is natural.

I have had others’ sunshine warm me when my heart is cold and it has reminded me that when we feel good & grateful, we can help others feel this way, too.

One of my favorite compliments to receive is that I look happy or I am making someone happier.

In times when I’ve been really down and going through it, I didn’t receive that compliment and I missed it, but forcing a smile & pretending things are all hunky dory when you’re hurting isn’t fair to your soul either.

Working through the pain, sitting with it, learning from it…finding your happy or contentedness again.

Then I started to receive the compliment again and I was reminded of who I can be and am when I am healing, healthy, and happy.

You don’t have to be perfectly at peace with everything in your life all the time, this would be an unfair expectation for happiness.

But when you can be in gratitude for the present moment, living in more flow, it can relieve some of the pain that can take over and tell us life isn’t worth it.

Even with death, sadness, pain, struggle, trauma, strife, heartache, illness…it is worth it to persevere.


Thank you for capturing this @lenamarie.fitness 🥲 she got this after day 1 of the live
#BUILDMORETHANJUSTABODY event when we got to workout at the @contestprepcenter 😍