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In the last few weeks since spring has sprung, I have not been able to stop thinking about how far I’ve come in 30 years of working in the fitness industry.

It still shocks me a little that I’ve been teaching group fitness classes since the age of 16. On one hand, it feels like I’ve been doing this forever, and on the other, it feels like I started my profession yesterday. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Okay, it wasn’t all fun.

I can recall so many instances during my career when I felt like “a fish out of water”—feeling out of place like I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, knowledgeable enough, or qualified enough.

I wish I could’ve told my 20-year-old self that “the best was yet to come”—but only if you’re patient, kind, and loving with yourself.

Lessons learned the hard way, to be sure.

There is a famous quote from Michael Jordan that constantly keeps me up at night lately—one which I truly believe has universal applications and that everyone should heed:

“If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.”

Amen, M.J.!

Every single time I doubt myself, I keep thinking about my fitness career—how long it has taken me to build not just my strength and fortitude, but my self-confidence, my inner light, my abundant energy, my tenacity, and my resilience.

I am in utter awe of my progress over the decades. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about my place in this world, what unique gifts I have to offer, what kind of an impact I have on other human beings who struggle just as I did when I was in my 20s and 30s.

Since I haven’t been able to stop thinking about everything I have achieved, I haven’t stopped working for it. I continuously educate myself on the growing trends in my industry, and I study regularly so I can hone in on my strengths and work hard to be current in every way imaginable. Without exaggeration, I dream about how I can be the best at what I do, almost nightly. I create unique and creative routines in every single session I teach. I make every class fun, exciting, and stimulating. I want people to feel on top of the world.

Just the other day, a lovely girl approached me after my exercise class to compliment me on my teaching style. She then went on to say that in her current career path, she had been thinking about shifting gears and going into acting. Her words were, “I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s calling to me.” Boom.

It was then that I related to her the brilliant Michael Jordan quote. And then, she looked at me with eyes of wonder and I saw her lightbulb go on. She replied, “You’re absolutely right. I should get on that right away.”

I truly hope I made an imprint on her mind in that moment. Because if I didn’t, she is just wasting her time, twiddling her thumbs, and mulling sh*t over. No—it’s “go” time for this girl. She knows what she has to do. And I truly believe she’s going to go for it, wholeheartedly.

So, I say this to you, my readers:

What the hell are you really waiting for? Is there something you’ve been thinking about for way too long that you keep telling yourself that you’ll pursue when “the time is right?”

The time is right now.

If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it.

Life is short. Time is precious. You cannot afford to sit on the sidelines anymore.

Get busy living, or get busy dying.

Pursue your passions. Live out your wildest dreams. Be the kind of person you’ve always thought you could be!

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