Most people do not spend enough time alone. I was recently talking with a friend about the importance of solitude — an element of living that is incredibly difficult to incorporate into our media saturated American lifestyles. It has been said that the great omission in American life is solitude…that zone of time and space, free
APPLE-ORANGE TWISTS
Have you ever seen an apple-orange twist? I have. They are everywhere. We are all these apple-oranges — all very special blends of unique combinations that stem from both our nature and our nurture. Interestingly enough, we too often get caught up in comparing apples to oranges, wishing we were either one or the other, when in actuality, we
WASHBOARD ABS
My dad loves sending me forwarded email chains, comics, and political jokes. I get a few from him throughout the week and about a dozen from him over the weekend; it’s a great father-daughter way to connect and laugh together even though we are apart. This comic strip was his weekend submission and is most
WHAT WORD ARE YOU?
Every city in the world has a word that people associate with it. New York City is ambitious, Paris is romantic, and London is stuffy. Likewise, when we think of people in our minds, we generally assign them a word. What is that word? What is that adjective that you use to describe something or
AS DIFFERENT AS GREAT DANES & CHIHUAHUAS
People’s tastes in dogs never fails to amaze me. Some like big dogs, some small, and some not at all. I myself am a Great Dane kind of girl; I’ve recently come dangerously close to buying a Dane puppy, but resisted thanks to the common sense of my friends and family who reminded me that
UNICORN DREAMS
I always loved unicorns as a little girl; they played well with my collection of My Little Ponies and Barbie dolls. I dreamed of real unicorns existing and of their beauty, which is why when I came across this picture, I was so struck by the depth of its message. This desperate little rhino is laboriously
COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES
It’s a natural thing to admire someone else’s body and it’s instinctual to want to compare yours to theirs. Sometimes this can create a healthy camaraderie that mutually encourages health and fitness, but sometimes such comparisons are extremely destructive. I know that I spent years wishing my body was something that it’s not. I wanted
FEEL GOOD NAKED
Feel good naked. If I am to define my success as a trainer, it is that I want all of my clients to feel good naked. Now, this is quite an onion-layered statement, full of possible meaning and interpretation, but it’s quite simple really. Feeling good naked is the ultimate mark of body confidence. You
JABS AND STABS
Sometimes, it’s just one of those weeks. You know, the kind of week where nothing in particular is wrong, but where you find yourself being constantly and exhaustively criticized. These jabs can be directed at your personality, at your job performance, at your clothes or at some of your quirks. Everyone has experienced these types of jabs, and even though they
BODIES ARE NOT MEANT TO BE PERFECT
Yesterday at work, a co-worker made a simple statement that became a ten-year-long awaited epiphany for me. Over typical trainer discussion about perfecting clients’ bodies, as well as our own, my friend Adam pointed out a valuable truth that should never be forgotten. His words rocked my world and the world of my other friend in the room,