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Posts tagged ‘self-love’

Jul 20

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I do hard things…

…and I’m better, stronger for it! #bravegirl

LoriandAnneonMountaintopMy friend Anne coined the phrase, “Hard is fun.” In her awesome Ten Centuries blog (which you can read here), she explains that by stretching our limits, conquering fear, and setting big, difficult goals – we learn all kinds of interesting things about ourselves. And for many, like Anne, hard is fun.

I share Anne’s tenacity for life. The “new Lori” does hard things. I seek adventure. Look for opportunities to conquer my fear. Say yes more than no. And run head strong into difficult things instead of running away from them.

Finally, I have confidence in myself and my abilities to live life to the absolute fullest. Even, and especially, when that means doing hard things.

Read more

Jun 2

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May 2015: Milestones, Meaning, and Memories

ITE_Stronger_QuoteI started the month of May with a heartbreak that tested every skill I’ve developed in the last three years at keeping myself in the equation. And I ended the month by speaking at a premier health and fitness event in the Twin Cities providing hope and inspiration to others.

In between, I celebrated three years of keeping off -200+ lbs and living as a fit, healthy, happy and active girl. To honor that milestone, I worked extra hard to keep myself in the equation and fought through the overwhelming urge to throw in the towel and wallow in my pain. Read more

May 15

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3 lessons I learned on the mountaintop

NOTE: This week marks my 3-year anniversary living as a fit, active, healthy, happy girl from the center of her equation — maintaining a -200 lb weight loss. To celebrate, I’m working on a series of blogs sharing the lessons of the road of the past three years of healthy living. This is a continuing journey. It’s been the ride of a lifetime and I wouldn’t change a thing — even and especially the hard stuff.

Lori-ObergMountain-April2015

Hello mountain. Hello fresh spring air. Hello switchbacks and ascending trails….expansive and breathtaking views. Hello critters of the forest. It’s just us today. Just the way I like it. Good morning!

As I pass the entrance to Oberg Mountain and hit the ascending trail, this is my internal conversation — with myself and my mountain. It’s been months since we’ve met and it feels like coming home again.

Oberg — on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior — was the first mountain I ever climbed. And like a first love, it will always have a very special place in my heart.

That was not always the case. Read more

Apr 16

Beautiful or Average? …Beautiful!

Dove-choosebeautifulcampaignphotoIt’s no secret, women struggle with body image. We are our own harshest critics. I don’t think many people — even the men in our lives — would argue with that.

Yesterday, I watched the new Dove “Choose Beautiful” campaign for the first time and was mesmerized. If you haven’t seen it, watch here.

The campaign centers on a 3.5 min video that shows women from five cities around the globe having to choose to enter a building through one of two doors — a BEAUTIFUL door and an AVERAGE door. Read more

Mar 23

Are you trying to do too much? Be honest.

Busyness vs. whole. I choose whole!

Alexander Ramsey State Park-hike

Hiking Alexander Ramsey State Park

Which of these equals success in your mind?

1) Being busy all the time balancing your busy job/career, your home obligations, the kids/family, volunteering at church…and then when trying to fit in time for a doctor’s appointment or a walk with a friend, you put if off because you realize you have a work deadline and you can’t get it all done. You’re just too busy. Crazy busy!

Or… Read more

Feb 13

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Awesomeness! It’s all about love.

10959611_10153045864740450_6805441468550001920_nI want to share this sentiment with you today in case no one else has. YOU are totally awesome! It’s true.

And, if you are brave enough, take five minutes right now, to list off in your head — or better, jot down on a post-it note and stick it to your wall or mirror — at three reasons why you’re totally awesome! I know you can do it. And I know you’ll feel better if you do. Read more

Dec 15

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-211 lbs + love = a WHOLE life!

The incredible gift of transformation — four years in.

ITE_Weight_Quote“Did you ever think in your whole life, you’d have a whole life?”

I will never forget the day I heard those words for the first time. I got choked up instantly. My eyes welled with tears and, I knew, for the first time since my transformation journey began that indeed this was the gift I gave myself when I decided to put myself and my health first.

A WHOLE life. Not a busy life. Not…a small life…a fake life… an empty life… But a full,  complete and whole life with me going into the arena 100% all-in, pursuing those things that matter most, even when they’re hard. (Brene Brown, I am Daring Greatly and you’d be proud.)

For me living a WHOLE life means living wholeheartedly, from a place of self-love and self-worth. It means going “all in” and opening myself up to it all — even and especially LOVE! True romantic love. The kind that once you get it for real, you realize you weren’t living a whole life before.

Yep. This is the gift — the greatest gift — I gave myself when I found the courage four years ago to push past my intense fear and go “all in” committing to my goal of putting ME in the center of my life and getting healthy so I’d be around for years and years. This was the beginning of learning to go for my big, hairy audacious goals and dreams — and it was the beginning of opening myself up to real, true romantic love and intimacy. Read more

Aug 18

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Success is changing the inside to sustain the outside

Meet the amazing Lori Martin, Transformation success story #4 in my series titled, “Success. It’s personal. And that’s a good thing.”

Success - Lori MartinDetermination. Focus. Heart. Passion. Courage. Stubbornness. Self-awareness. The ability to go all in and then some. A sense of humor. Learning to embrace the process, as well as the end result.

These are are all qualities I had to muster in abundance during my transformation journey. And each serves me well today as I embrace my new healthy way of living.

They are also the very qualities that my friend, Lori Martin, shares in abundance. It’s why she is one of my favorite transformation success stories, and I’m delighted to share her story with you today as the last in my series – “Success. It’s personal. And that’s a good thing.”

Lori’s Martin measures success differently than you might imagine. While she has lost and maintained 109 lbs — and wants to lose another 100+ — she doesn’t measure success in terms of weight loss. At least not totally. Lori is focused on her WHOLE self, transforming inside and out. We’ve shared this “wholeness” goal since the very beginning and I feel privileged to support her through the ups and the downs. Read more

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